Melt My Heart
by White Jem
Summary: ElsaxFOC When Elsa is forced to fire the Captain of her Royal Guard, and who better to take his place than the mysterious foreigner with smoldering amber eyes, bored expression and an enigmatic personality to boot? COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

Hey guys! Been a while since I was on here, but here's a story I came up with! Don't worry it's actually all finished, I'm just trying to savor the feeling of actually having completed a story for once. I'll post once a week, maybe, unless (by some slim chance) it gets insanely popular xp

Hope you guys enjoy the ride! I know I enjoyed creating it for you all!

* * *

Anna and Kristoff exchanged more than one amused glance with each other as the troll population bestowed countless good luck charms to bless their 'engagement'. Kristoff had only given the necklace to Anna as a sign of his devotion, but it was apparent that the tribe of trolls that lived in the Northern Mountains saw the gift as more than a simple birthday present.

I stood with Grand Pabbie up on a ledge overlooking the Valley of the Living Rock, with a few of my personal guard standing close by. I had only been here once before, when I had accidentally frozen Anna's mind in a slip of control with my powers. I shivered at the memory. Though it no longer caused overwhelming fear in my heart at hurting her again, I was more determined than ever to never hurt my little sister again. That, along with the knowledge that Anna had never once given up on me after I had pushed her away for so long, had steeled my resolve and had opened my heart once again to the love that Anna and I had once shared as children.

Amused, I watched Anna, at the overbearing behest of the trolls, give Kristoff a shy kiss on the cheek, making the sometimes rough-around-the-edges mountain man turn a bright red. Olaf 'aw'-ed with the trolls in the background. I shook my head at the tolls' antics, endeared, even while my heart held a secret longing for the still-blossoming, but nevertheless undying love that I knew that Anna and Kristoff had for one another.

Because of the isolation I had put myself through during much of my childhood and most of my young adult life, it was understandable that I would still be a little awkward and uncertain when it came to building personal relationships. At least, that was what Anna believed. She was convinced that I had as much chance as anyone to find true love, someone to trust and confide in, someone that would love and protect me, as I would do for them.

I was not so optimistic.

"You yearn for love?" Grand Pabbie asked from beside me.

I smiled down at him, inclined my head at the loving pair below us and said simply, "This is enough."

Mysterious understanding shone in his eyes as he said, "You must have patience, Queen Elsa."

I suspected that the expression on my face could have been described as fond, albeit a little disbelieving. "Of course, Grand Pabbie." I smiled. "And it's just 'Elsa', please."

But the old troll was nothing if not a stickler for propriety, not unlike myself. I didn't think I much deserved the title of 'Queen' any longer, after the seemingly eternal winter I'd put Arendelle through a little over a year before, but Anna had refused to take on the role, threatening to abdicate and leave Arendelle without a ruler if I did not remain the queen. I knew she only did this out of a belief that I was the best person for the job.

Again, I was not so optimistic.

As I felt the still-cool wind of Arendelle's spring season gently caress my face, I felt a disturbance to the west that I couldn't quite explain.

By the way Grand Pabbie's gaze snapped in the same direction, it seemed the Troll King had felt it as well.

 _Something's wrong._ The trolls had their rock forms to protect them, and I, my magic, if need be. But Anna and Kristoff had no such defenses of their own.

I quickly nodded farewell to Grand Pabbie and gracefully jumped from the ledge and down to the lowest plain of the valley, using snow to cushion my landing.

"Anna." I called as I approached.

She glanced over. "Elsa?"

I smiled and tried not to let my worry show too much. "We must leave. Now."

She didn't ask any questions as she nodded to Kristoff and gently bade farewell to the rest of the trolls.

Grand Pabbie, who had come down to see us off, stood at the head of his tribe. "May the journey back be safe for you, Your Majesty."

Inclining my head, I thanked him before turning to a guard who had untied my horse.

I waited until we had cleared the Valley's exit before turning to answer Anna's inevitable questions.

She tilted her head as she asked, "Is something wrong, Elsa?"

I shook my head. I wouldn't be able to describe the ominous feeling if I tried.

All I wanted to do was get back to the castle where my sister and her beloved would be safe.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened in the east to cause me to feel so unsettled. I hoped all was well.

* * *

My hands shook in an uncharacteristic manner as I glared up at the usurper. The sword clutched in my grasp was trembling not out of fear, but anger.

I would never forgive this woman for what she had done.

Thunder rolled through the sky and the grey clouds sported random cracks of lightning that would have been very impressive if I hadn't been otherwise engaged.

Inside, it felt like my body was about to explode with the amount of heat that was building as I struggled to keep my rage in check. I was surrounded by guards and I schooled my expression as I surveyed my situation. I was badly outnumbered, but I could easily break through their lines to the traitor if I let my temper fly.

I felt a tightness in my chest as I was forced to admit to myself that I could never harm the guards that I knew were only defending the Crown, even if they weren't aware that a snake now wore said circlet on her brow. Of course, the fact that I had trained nearly all of the guards personally didn't help in my dilemma. Pain sliced through my sides from the blows I had taken instead of actually fighting back at full strength. Even I wasn't so cold as to try to mercilessly kill those I had trained specifically to protect the crown, especially not for simply doing their jobs. That would make me an even bigger hypocrite than the woman who was smirking down at me from the ledge where Father had once sat with my stepmother.

I would never understand what Father had ever seen in the witch as an advisor Her demeanor could have once been called 'charming', but predictably, said demeanor was now nowhere to be found.

A thick sheet of rain pelted the kingdom of Palladon, as if the land itself were mourning the death of its emperor. And they said I was cursed. Orinda had been sealed within me for years, occasionally providing scathing commentary on those I interacted with. Her instincts about people were always spot-on. Unfortunately, her demonic (and somewhat capricious) nature prevented there from being much merit to asking advice from her; it was doubtful she would even tell me the truth, if she replied at all.

Zmeya wore a caustic sneer from her perch on the stairs above me. One of her personal attendants held a canopy over her head to protect it from the falling rain.

Her condescension was ludicrous, considering that we both knew I could have her dead in a matter of seconds, even in my weakened state.

I narrowed my eyes, wishing she would attack me herself and give me an excuse to lop off her head. My hair was sticky with drying blood, most of which was not mine, my armor and underlying garments were in tatters, and my body was weakening. Even I wouldn't be able to last much longer if I stayed.

"What's the matter?" She taunted. "Tired already?"

My clothes had started to stick to my body as a result of the storm. Suddenly struck with an idea, I tried not to allow a smirk to find its way to my face.

"You won't get away with this, Zmeya."

She scoffed, "We both know I already have."

 _Incorrigible whelp._

When I stayed silent at Orinda's jab, Zmeya baited, "All out of tricks?"

 _Well, what are you waiting for?_ I could feel Orinda letting her bloodthirsty nature free, bringing the image of an agitated cat's swishing tail to mind. _Light up the damn fools._ I could almost see her eyes start to glow in my mind's eye.

This time, I allowed a faint grin to surface and I reveled in the brief moment her arrogant facade wavered slightly at my expression of confidence.

I tried not to glance at the sky that had given me my means of escape as I replied, "Not just yet."

In one swift movement, I had sheathed my sword and allowed the heat that had been building finally take root. After rapidly slashing my hands in opposite directions through the air, I brought them quickly up, creating a cover of steam by instantly evaporating the water within a mile of where I was standing.

I wasted no time escaping through the ensuing mist.


	2. Losing the Battle but Winning the War

Lexia didn't so much as flinch at the frigid temperature of the gales of wind that tore at her clothes. The mountains were beautiful and glistening with newly fallen snow. She walked calmly through the raging blizzard unperturbed, but stopped once she reached a cliff overlooking the valley that was the last stretch before she would pass through Arendelle.

Orinda had been sorely disappointed that Lexia hadn't killed Zmeya, as she usually was when her host refused to kill her enemies. It wasn't as if she hadn't killed before, but she used discretion when fighting her enemies, preferring not to kill them if she could help it. It was the occasional acts of mercy that set her apart from her constant companion, after all. Now the disgruntled demon had retreated to the far recesses of her mind, grumbling something about how she hated the cold.

As a fire demon, it was ridiculous to think that Orinda had been physically bothered by the cold when she had possessed her own body. Lexia suspected it had to do with Orinda's opinion that the ice and snow were "passionless", a description that she had repeatedly linked with the Snow Queen of Arendelle. As Orinda saw it, ice and fire, being polar opposites, should never be friendly with one another.

Lexia smirked. That was probably because, in the end, snow would always win over fire. Ice would melt to become water, and the water would douse the flames, losing a battle but winning the war. Orinda had always been a sore loser. Still, when Lexia, as a young woman, had taken Orinda's magic by force, the fire apparition had since held a grudging respect for her vessel and 'allowed' her to use the magic as if it were her own. Lexia knew the truth, though. Orinda would never admit it, but Lexia had won fair and square; her will had won out, and Orinda's magic had been hers to command ever since.

The woman shrugged. It wasn't like Orinda was going anywhere. After the tragic first-explosion of her power, which made her cringe just thinking about it, Lexia had searched high and low for any way to exorcise the demon from her body. After much deliberation, and plenty of scornful comments from Orinda, Lexia had decided that if she couldn't get rid of Orinda she would harness and control the demon's magic if it was the last thing she did. In retrospect, it was unfortunate that she and her father had been so mentally similar.

Lexia shook her head, effectively shifting away any lingering memories. She turned her attention back to the valley where Arendelle awaited.

Despite the fact Lexia and Queen Elsa hadn't ever met face-to-face, she'd heard the rumors of the Snow Queen that now ruled Arendelle, and the previously unknown nature of her powers, that is, until the day of her coronation, though the exact circumstances of that night changed depending on who you spoke to. Some said the Queen murdered a guest and then was exiled for her crimes. Others whispered that the Queen and the Princess Anna had argued and Anna had assaulted the Queen, forcing her to defend herself. Lexia didn't believe the former scenario for a moment. If that had been the case, her subjects would never had allowed a murderer to return, let alone rule the kingdom.

It was anyone's guess how Arendelle had become once more as peaceful as it had ever been, unlike her own kingdom, which was a hair's breadth away from all-out rebellion. Catherine was lucky she had been out of the country when her mother and their father had been murdered, and the throne stolen from their father by Lexia's murderous ex-lover. There was no telling how her gentle-hearted stepsister would've reacted to such a traumatic experience.

Eventually Lexia stopped for the night to rest after running half the way to her current location. The soldiers from Palladon wouldn't be able to follow in the blizzard. Thankfully, her magic kept her from feeling the cold for even a second. Still, it hadn't stopped her from feeling the pain of her injuries searing through her side as she trudged through the snow.

Feeling what must have been a freezing gust of wind brush her black hair back from her face, Lexia fell asleep praying that tomorrow would see her on a ship from Arendelle and far away from her snake of a ex-lover.

* * *

Elsa sighed. It was just another day of paperwork and attending meetings. Life as a queen really wasn't everything she'd read in books as a child. Although in most stories, both real and fictional, a queen would work beside a king and the kingdom would be ruled by a united pair. That was how her parents had done it for so many years.

The Snow Queen had been the reluctant recipient of the many suitors that her overzealous younger sister had shipped in from all corners of the world in hopes Elsa would fall in love with one of them. Elsa had tried to be firm but gentle in all her refusals, but when Anna had finally gotten desperate and tried to set her up with a visiting duchess from another kingdom, Elsa had put her foot down, _hard_.

Elsa's eyes currently scanned the asset list one of her advisors had made, detailing the financial stability of the country whose prince was to arrive any day. She had tried not to start thinking of her impending engagement to a prince as a business agreement, but after Anna's repeatedly unsuccessful matchmaking attempts, Elsa was starting to seriously consider simply finding the best economic match for her kingdom and be done with it.

She sighed again. It wasn't that she wasn't open to the possibility of 'true love', as Anna endearingly put it, but Elsa just wasn't sure that she would find it early enough for it to make any difference. Sharing sisterly true love with Anna was one thing, but romantic love? What chance did an Ice Queen have of finding that?

She was suddenly pulled from her thoughts by a knock on her study door.

Elsa bade them enter and returned her gaze to the reports in front of her until the guard spoke.

"Your Majesty..." He trailed off.

The Queen gave him what she hoped was a friendly smile. "What is it, Thomas?"

At the sound of his name, the guard straightened. "There's a matter that demands your attention, Queen Elsa."

Elsa raised a slender eyebrow, indicating that he elaborate.

"The Captain was patrolling a local tavern and a foreigner assaulted him in the course of his duty."

The puzzled expression was for a completely different reason this time.

She was unable to keep trace amounts of amusement from her voice as she said, "Since when do we 'patrol' local taverns?"

The guard blushed minutely and started to stammer an excuse, but Elsa had already stood and was making her way to the door. In all honesty, she was glad to have a reason to not look at more paperwork for the next hour.

As she walked two steps ahead of Thomas, she thought of ways to defuse the Captain's easily excitable temper in the quickest way possible. Chances were that he had simply been slacking off again and was trying to pawn it off on someone else.

Elsa opened the door and calmly walked to the center of the platform, where her throne sat. She turned her gaze to the foreigner and was surprised at what she saw.

A long, silky waterfall of ebony hair covered a face that Elsa had the feeling was just as lovely. The woman's hair looked in slight disarray, but that only served to add to her air of intrigue. Her arms were pulled roughly back by the pair of guards that stood behind her, the stance emphasizing the contours of her chest. The woman had been forced into a kneeling position that looked more than a little uncomfortable as the chains that encircled her wrists cut into her skin.

Elsa wondered what the woman could possibly have done to land herself in a situation that looked more like a trial than an audience with the queen.

Straightening her shoulders, Elsa waited for the Captain to start the accusations, as he always did.

Maybe this would finally be the day she found solid grounds to dismiss the man for good.


	3. First Glance

Heeelloo! Ready for the next chapter? I decided I'd post a little earlier, to celebrate the coming of another weekend! Oh and I was reading over the last few, and I have to say even *I* was disappointed at their length...Although, in my defense, they looked longer on GoogleDocs lol So as a treat, not one, but TWO chapters for the lovely readers! This chapter is still a little short, but the next one is over twice as long!

Hope you all enjoy! Please let me know your thoughts in a review!

* * *

Lexia liked to think that she was _very_ good at minding her own business. She didn't save people, didn't try to be a hero. She knew the consequences of fighting other people's battles; she'd learned that lesson the hard way a long time ago. Not that many people had wanted anything to do with her in the first place.

She sighed softly. _I should never have interfered,_ she thought. _But why a sweet, innocent-looking girl would choose to work in a tavern, of all places, is beyond me._

There were many reasons, if Lexia had actually stopped to think about it. So many, she didn't care to count them all. Money, attention, special circumstances, the list went on and on. Lexia hadn't been forced to step in when the so-called Captain of the Queen's guard started to manhandle the barmaid, but intervene she had.

Admittedly, the reason Lexia had probably felt inclined to get involved was the fact the girl bore a close resemblance to her stepsister who was currently studying abroad at an all-girls' academy. Quite frankly, it was one of the few good ideas that Catherine's mother had ever had for her daughter. It had ended up being the only thing saving from certain death, had she been home at the time of Zmeya's betrayal.

 _I told you that you should have killed her when you had the chance._ Orinda seethed.

They both knew it would have been impossible. Cold as the Palladonians had always been to their former first-born princess, Lexia wasn't about to have a beloved duchess-turned-empress' blood on her hands, and then be wanted by an entire country for the rest of her life. The best course of action was to be patient and wait out the storm, so to speak. Catherine would eventually come of age and take the throne, something Lexia never would have done anyway, and Lexia knew Catherine would make a kind and gentle Empress.

As a result of her past, laden with good intentions being hatefully slapped away, even after the lecherous Captain, still mostly sober, had started harassing the girl with the Catherine-like demeanor, Lexia had been determined to stay out of it. Especially since the man had been wearing the insignia of the kingdom of Arendelle, marking him as one of the Queen's own guards. One would be foolish to trifle with such a high-ranking soldier for no reason at all.

Lexia had to hold back a growl of frustration. _I'm not usually so sentimental._ But was done was done, and that uncharacteristic act of kindness had ironically landed her here, awaiting the Queen so that she could decide Lexia's punishment.

 _Damn._ It appalled Lexia to think that the Queen herself was forced to deal with all trial-like issues, but then, maybe Arendelle was really _that_ peaceful. Even her late mother would never have done such a thing.

She had to restrain herself from snapping her head up when she heard the door open, likely admitting Queen Elsa and whichever guard had been sent to fetch the monarch. Soft footsteps followed the sound of the closing door, and Lexia kept her head lowered; she of all people would know how to act in the presence of royalty.

Lexia felt rather than saw Queen Elsa's eyes on her form just before the Snow Queen addressed the Captain, sounding almost amused. "Now what could she have possibly done to warrant such a harsh position?"

The fire-user almost laughed at the tone of the Queen's voice. Idiotic and ill-tempered as the Captain was, it didn't surprise her that he made false accusations on a daily basis.

The Captain seemed startled at the Queen's direct question. Apparently the infamous Snow Queen didn't often jump immediately to the crux of a problem, instead choosing to skirt the issue until an opening appeared.

The Captain scrambled to come up with an answer.

Clearing his throat, he said, "This woman stands accused of attacking a member of the Royal Guard, Your Majesty."

"Was it unprovoked?" Queen Elsa inquired. Lexia's head was still lowered, but the raised eyebrow was almost audible.

No one spoke. One would think that the guards would have a bit more loyalty to the Captain, but it was apparent that Lexia wasn't the only one who thought the man was undeserving of his position.

Queen Elsa seemed to take notice as well, even when the Captain was forced to jump to his own defense.

Evidently thinking better of speaking up for his own actions, the Captain elected to elbow the guard beside him.

"The Captain was quietly enjoying his time off-duty in one of the local taverns," he gestured to Lexia. "Then this woman-"

"Comes out of nowhere and attacks me!"

It was clear the Captain simply did not know when to keep his mouth shut. As was the fact that subtlety was most certainly not his strong suit.

Lexia rolled her eyes from behind the curtain of hair that she was unable to brush back because her hands were otherwise occupied. _Just keep talking, old man. I'll be out of here in record time._

"I did nothing to warrant such a violent and -" The Captain continued.

"Did anyone think to ask this woman her side of the story?" Queen Elsa asked.

Silence. Lexia then felt Queen Elsa's gaze on her once again. She seemed to make a decision and spoke with a most authoritative tone.

"Release her hands."

"But Queen Elsa-"

"She is unarmed, correct?" Lexia could hear the smile on Queen Elsa's lips.

"She could be hiding concealed weapons-"

The Queen calmly deflected the concern. "Then if the rumors about me were to be believed, then you should know that airborne weapons will be useless against me."

Lexia had no doubt. From what she'd heard, the Snow Queen had proved quite formidable. But then again, spoken tales had a tendency to be over-exaggerated. Still, the point was moot as the only tangible weapon she usually carried was her sword. Weapons training had always been the most hated part of her day. By contrast, the part of the day when she could sneak away to the ocean to practice her magic had easily been the most joyful, even if the magic wasn't technically hers. However, she no longer needed a catalyst to channel her magic as she had when she'd been a child. The sword at her hip now was merely for appearances.

The Captain must have reluctantly nodded to the two men pulling back her arms, because the chains were suddenly released and Lexia bent forward to rest her weight on her hands. Taking only a moment to collect herself, she drew up halfway and brushed her long hair back from the front, casually pulling out the loose tie that had once held her hair back.

Lexia thought she saw the Queen's breath catch, but that might have just been a trick of her imagination. What was not imagined, however, were the widening of the Snow Queen's eyes as their gazes locked for the first time. People often reacted that way to the golden color of her irises. Lexia suspected it was probably a physical manifestation of Orinda's fire magic, not unlike her higher-than-normal body temperature.

The Snow Queen had proven most magnanimous thus far. Still, it intrigued Lexia to think of what the ruler would do next.


	4. False Accusations

The young barmaid ran hastily through the streets of Arendelle, almost toppling more than a few people in her haste to get to the one person that would be able to save the mysterious stranger who had been so kind to her not fifteen minutes before.

After seeing the dark-haired woman get dragged off in the direction of the palace, Ada knew that she couldn't just sit around while the woman might be wrongly accused by that perverted man that had been harassing her all night.

The guards at the open gates recognized her from her friendship with the youngest princess of Arendelle and let her pass with no trouble. The tavern customer, she was sure, would not have messed with her if he had known that she had been friends with Anna ever since the Queen had declared that they never close the gates again after a 13-year isolation.

She found Anna in the stables with Olaf, the magic snowman that Queen Elsa had created during her self-imposed exile from Arendelle. They were talking quietly and Ada hated to interrupt, but the stranger could very well be thrown in prison if Queen Elsa was misinformed.

"Anna!" Ada cried.

Anna started and looked over. She smiled as she said, "Ada, what are you doing here?"

Ada bent and tried to catch her breath as she gasped, "Captain Lockhart-"

Anna giggled. "Did he flirt with you again? I keep telling you we should tell his wife about his-"

Ada shook her head, having caught her breath a little. She spoke quietly, feeling mortified that she had to admit this. "He didn't _just_ try to flirt with me..."

Anna immediately lost her characteristic carefree attitude. "What?"

Ada conveyed the whole story and before she had even finished, Anna was pulling her in the direction of the Throne Room, where the Queen would be receiving the accused woman.

* * *

Elsa hadn't expected this.

The woman's eyes were a molten amber color. Quite unusual, considering even the blue eyes she and Anna shared with their mother (differing shades, but still) had been considered something of a rarity in Arendelle. Although that was the most surprising of the woman's facial features, Elsa couldn't help but marvel at the overall beauty this woman possessed. Even so, the bored look in the golden eyes was unnerving.

After a moment, the accused woman, still on her knees, elegantly bent forward once again, straightened the back of the long, slit tunic that she wore over loose pants, and sat back on her heels, calmly waiting for something to happen. Elsa realized that the woman was waiting for her to speak.

Elsa quickly composed herself and asked the woman, gesturing to her position sitting on the floor with her legs tucked neatly under her. "Won't you stand?"

The woman retained her bored look even as she raised a slender eyebrow.

"Absolutely not."

Elsa didn't understand. She tilted her head to the side to encourage the woman to elaborate.

When she didn't, Elsa said, "Why not?"

The woman blinked. "Where I come from, the proper way to show respect to a monarch is to kneel before them." She glanced in the guards' direction. "Especially if it one's own queen."

A ghost of a smirk appeared on the foreign woman's face. "How disrespectful your guards seem to be of you, Queen Elsa."

The Captain's temper flared again before Queen Elsa could speak.

"Why you-" He grabbed Lexia by the front of her shirt and hauled her to her feet.

" _Enough_ , Captain Lockhart!"

Lexia held her ground and stared him down, not even glancing at the Queen. It was the first time Lexia had heard Queen Elsa raise her voice even slightly; the sound of authority in her tone was unmistakable, but Lexia wondered if the Captain would nonetheless disobey a direct order from his Queen.

After feeling the man tighten his grip slightly, Lexia subtly tensed her own shoulder muscles if the need to break his hold arose. His resolve seemed to lessen and he opened his mouth to say something, but the door to the throne room was suddenly thrown open, slamming against the walls.

"Elsa!" The lack of the Queen's title indicated that Princess Anna had entered the room, though it was the first time Lexia had heard her voice.

"Anna, we're kind of in the middle of something..."

"Please, Your Majesty, if I may?"

 _That_ voice she recognized. Lexia broke eye contact with the glaring Captain and snapped her head in the direction of the voice, already knowing the appearance of its owner. Noting the interruption, the man released his hold on Lexia and stepped back a bit.

Queen Elsa spoke again. "Ada? What is this about?"

"I...believe you might have been misinformed." The girl called Ada seemed reluctant to speak.

The amused voice again. "How so?"

"Well..." Ada looked at her rescuer, but the woman had already looked away, opting to not glance at anyone in particular as the conversation continued. The foreigner also didn't seem inclined to defend herself against the accusations the Captain had made against her.

Ada seemed to steel her resolve and said, "It wasn't this woman's fault at all." She hesitantly pointed at the Captain. "The Captain had been-"

Anna jumped in. "He's been harassing her for weeks, Elsa." She glared in the Captain's direction."This wasn't the first time."

"Ridiculous!" The Captain scoffed. "You have no proof!"

"How dare you-" Anna started.

Queen Elsa spoke as well. "Captain, if you cannot find a way to hold your tongue, then I shall have to ask you to leave."

Lexia sighed softly, deciding to intervene and cut off the impending circular argument.

"If you want your proof." She pointed at Ada with a disinterested expression. "You only need to look as far as that girl's forearm."

Queen Elsa seemed perplexed by the stranger's sudden interference, but she nonetheless nodded to Thomas, who gently pried back the sleeve of Ada's bodice.

The girl's arm had an discolored imprint shaped just about the size of the Captain's hand. Ada looked up sharply at Lexia, wondering how she'd known.

Queen Elsa hadn't wanted to believe that one of her own guard, and the leader, no less, had fallen so low as to try to harm a young girl, but as the Captain reluctantly held his hand out to Thomas for the guard to compare the size of the mark with his palm, the evidence was irrefutable. Truthfully, the logical part of her had already been convinced, but a small part of her needed to see the mark the stranger spoke of to confirm her suspicions. That same part, after seeing the severity of the bruise, wanted to have the man forcibly thrown out, but she kept her composure.

"Your Majesty, I-I can assure you that I have molested no one." The Captain stuttered, making one last attempt to save his skin.

"Salem Lockhart, as punishment for attempting to take advantage of a young girl, and moreover, for lying to your Queen, I must insist that you resign from your position as Captain." She narrowed her eyes, and the temperature of the room seemed to drop.

The now ex-Captain looked understandably startled, but he nonetheless conceded, the fires of rage burning in his eyes."O-Of course, Your Majesty."

"Now get out of my sight." Queen Elsa seemed to have to hold herself back from snapping the phrase.

As the Captain started to retreat out of the room, he came to a realization. _Something's not right. There's no way that woman could have seen the mark my grip made on the girl. She never touched her, and the little girl looked as surprised as I had that she had known._

* * *

Lexia saw the Captain's intention before he had moved an inch. Unfortunately for Princess Anna, there hadn't been anyone in a close enough range to grab.

Queen Elsa cried out Anna's name as the second heir of Arendelle found herself in the desperate hold of the Captain.

Elsa noticed that the stranger hadn't even flinched when the man had grabbed Anna. She simply stood there, looking as bored as she had even when she had been bound by steel chains and false accusations.

The Captain whipped out a blade that he had once been authorized to carry and pressed the edge morbidly close to the princess's throat. Anna shook and tried to struggle, but the man's hold was too strong.

Lexia didn't look away, but she held back another sigh as the tension in the room understandably spiked. The remaining soldiers drew their swords and Queen Elsa's body looked like a spring wound too tight. A light swirling of snow had started to fall from the ceiling, out of nowhere.

"Back away, all of you!" Lockhart snarled.

The Queen looked like she was going to disobey him and rush forward, but Lexia stepped in front of her, halting her movements. She held a hand out to motion for the queen to remain where she was. This dolt of a man had wasted enough of her time. He was hers.

She assessed his body position. He wasn't serious. He knew that if he killed the princess, there was no way in hell he was escaping from Arendelle in one piece. But that didn't mean Anna wasn't in danger. All it took was one slip of the hand...

Most people would have raised their hands placatingly, but all Lexia did was slowly remove the belt that held her own weapon and place it on the ground. After straightening, she made eye contact with Lockhart and leisurely started to move forward.

Anna heard Lockhart's breath rate hitch as the woman paced steadily in their direction. Anna was almost offended that the foreigner didn't look the least bit worried, but then maybe she didn't have a reason to be. No one but Lockhart and herself could see her face; Lockhart's back was literally up against a wall. And she looked _intimidating_. There was simply no other word to describe the intense expression on her face. Her odd golden eyes were narrowed and they glowed an ominous flaming orange as she stalked like a predatory animal towards them.

She had already made it to a couple feet from them, then Lockhart seemed to snap out of his stupor and held her even tighter, blade dangerously close to her throat.

"Go ahead," the woman goaded, a wisp of a smirk gracing her lips. "Please, give me an excuse."

Anna knew that the former Captain would rather cut off his own arm than swallow his pride and give in to a woman. Still, it didn't look like the foreigner was giving him much of a choice.

Lexia smirked as Lockhart finally admitted his defeat and shoved the princess away, allowing the nearby guards to swamp him.

Elsa watched in amazement as the foreigner single-handedly disarmed Lockhart and freed her sister. Anna stumbled forward and Elsa was right there to embrace her, squeezing her as if to assure herself that Anna was still in one piece.

Lexia briefly watched Lockhart be dragged away with no small amount of disdain in her eyes. The man should consider himself lucky they were not in Palladon. A crime of the magnitude of threatening a member of the royal family was not so easily forgiven. Queen Elsa was soft and Arendelle was doomed to one day fall to the crimes of the individuals that were not punished harshly enough.

Lexia didn't like the idea of staying in Arendelle for longer than she had to. Her body now ached even more, what with all the rough handling she had been forced to endure. As powerful as her magic was, she still didn't have the ability to speed up the healing process. All she wanted to do was go back to an inn and sleep, though preferably an inn that was not the one she'd been arrested in. Things there were far too noisy for her taste.

After officially pardoning Lexia from her "crime", Queen Elsa dismissed the guards from the room, leaving only Lexia, Princess Anna, and Ada in the room. Lexia bowed shortly before thanking the queen for her pardon and turning to leave.

"Wait!" The queen called.

Lexia reluctantly halted. She glanced back out of the corner of her eye. "By your leave, Your Majesty."

"You just saved my sister." Elsa said. "Let me thank you somehow."

The ebony-haired woman's expression did not change, but Elsa thought she saw an almost imperceptible sigh from her before she made to turn away again.

"Unnecessary, Queen Elsa."

Anna piped up. "Do you have a place to stay for tonight?"

Lexia saw where this was headed. "I have already arranged my lodgings for the night." She lied.

Ada would recognize the lie as well, since the girl had been there when the traveler had first walked in. It didn't look like Ada was about to call her out on it, but still.

"Why don't you stay here, just for the night?" The Snow Queen looked in earnest, but Lexia couldn't understand how a ruler could swallow her pride to show her emotions so often. Such a thing certainly didn't happen in her own kingdom.

"That really is not necessary, Your Majesty." The traveler's tone was formal, but icy.

Elsa had to admit she was curious at the woman's steadfast refusal. She suddenly remembered how the Captain had folded under a firmer tone of voice from his superior. Perhaps that was the way to get through to this woman.

"Please," Elsa said. "I insist."

Lexia held back the impulse to roll her eyes. It was as Father had always upheld; doing good for others always brought nothing but trouble. Her mother had softened his demeanor somewhat, but he had still been a warrior at heart.

"As you please, Majesty." Lexia bowed once again.

"Thank you." Elsa went on. "Now, do you have a name?"

The woman blinked. "Of course."

Was the woman refusing to give a queen her name? There was no doubt in Elsa's mind that this woman was one of the strangest people she'd ever met.

Elsa raised an eyebrow and waited patiently.

Anna watched the interaction with interest. This was new. The woman that had saved Ada seemed, on the surface, to be polite and formal, but seemed to have an underlying aura of power and danger that lay just beneath, carefully controlled and withheld from the outside world.

Now where had she seen that behavior before?

It was no wonder Elsa seemed more than a little intrigued. The stranger had knew all along that the Captain had been completely overstepping his bounds by summoning the queen herself for such a silly squabble. The woman must have really embarrassed him back at the tavern for the Captain's pride to have been in such tatters that he felt the need to childishly try to get revenge on her. Anna made a mental note to ask Ada about it later.

Elsa and the woman seemed to be having some sort of staring contest. Intense though it was, it didn't look to be a challenge on the stranger's part so much as curiosity.

Since Elsa looked distracted, Anna didn't think that the woman would ever be shown to where she would sleep for the night, if this kept up.

Anna opened her mouth to call for Gerda and Kai to see that the woman was settled properly, but stopped when the stranger suddenly spoke up.

"Lexia." She said in a clear, but soft voice. "My name is Lexia," Then, almost as an afterthought, "...of Palladon."

Queen Elsa's eyes widened as she processed the name. Palladon was notoriously warlike, and its rulers were said to be twice as bloodthirsty.

After Lexia had stated her name, she sank into a shallow, but respectful bow with her hand over her heart.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lexia," Elsa said.

A ghost of a smirk appeared on the foreigner's face.

She spoke in a low, breathy tone, "Oh no, Your Majesty. The pleasure has been all mine."

Their gazes locked for a moment more and Elsa was mesmerized.

Lexia heard Princess Anna call for the attendants and she straightened as the Princess led an older man and woman into the throne room.

The man and woman bowed and curtsied to the queen, respectively, and Elsa told them to show Lexia to the room she would be sleeping in for the night and the woman, whom Lexia now knew as Gerda, led the way to the west wing of the palace.

Lexia didn't think she would have ever been happier to leave a throne room than she had been on the wedding day of her father and her stepmother, but she had clearly been proved wrong. Tonight was just _full_ of surprises.

The palace attendant, Gerda, stopped and opened a door, beckoning for Lexia to follow.

Lexia wasn't particularly amazed at the size, but the colors were definitely a change from back in Palladon. The walls were a soft white that matched the sheets and emphasized the scarlet drapes that were opened to allow as much light as possible as the sun set in the west.

Gerda started to light the candles in the room, but Lexia wasn't worried if she missed a few. It wasn't as if she couldn't light them herself with a wave of her hand anyway.

"Would you like me to have a bath drawn for you?"

Lexia had taken to standing at the window, gazing out to the fjord that surrounded the city of Arendelle. She glanced back to look at Gerda and said,

"That sounds fine," Lexia said, nodding as she spoke. "Thank you."

Seemingly pleased to be of service, Gerda's mouth broke out into a wide smile as she curtsied and backed out of the room as she said, "You're welcome, miss."

Lexia turned back to the window as the servant left the room and thought about the courtyard that she had seen on her way in. Since the hot water wouldn't be here for a bit, training in the courtyard sounded like a good way to pass the time. It wasn't as if she couldn't heat the water back up if she lost track of time.

Lexia left the room and made her way down the halls. She had mentally marked every wall in her head as Gerda had led her from the throne room, and she knew that if she just got back to where she had started, she would be able to find her way to the courtyard that was in front of the receiving room.

She made a point of training every day if she wasn't completely incapacitated, and she'd been injured often enough in the past to know that the rough handling that her body had sustained from various guards in the last few days wouldn't be enough to keep her from practicing seriously. Since there were people within a close distance, though, she would have to be careful to not let any of her magic make an appearance.

Once she was in the courtyard, she was happy to see that it was completely deserted. All the guards were thankfully at their posts and the courtyard itself didn't contain a soul but herself.

The guards didn't seem to be keeping a very close watch, she noticed. There were holes all over the place in their patrols. The palace security here in Arendelle was certainly nothing like it was back home. Everyone watched out for everyone else's blind spot. Not out of kindness or friendship, but out of necessity. If the person watching your back is slaughtered because you weren't watching his, now your blind side is left wide open. Her father had been full of harsh truths like that.

Shrugging out of the jacket that was purely for show, as she never needed any weather protection, she took her beginning stance. It was often difficult after a trying day, but Lexia made a conscious effort to relax her shoulders and only contract the muscles that were absolutely necessary for her movement. Her feet found a practiced width apart and she started circling an imaginary spot in the ground.

Without actually freeing her magic, Lexia worked her way through several movements before starting to feel the stresses of the day start to weigh her down. She imagined the internal flame that she had taught herself to visualize when she was training to hold back her power. She knew that if she harshly swiped out the flame, it would physically hurt, but if gently downsized, the exercise could bring total peace, as if she were sitting in the safest place imaginable, meditating.

Her footwork was impeccable, as always. She'd lost count of the number of times her father had knocked her on her ass in order to make his point ("Footwork is absolutely essential in hand-to-hand combat"). If one's footing was lost, the battle was lost.

Lexia felt, rather than saw, someone watching her movements, as she had closed her eyes as she became more and more in-tune with her body's every exertion. She didn't feel any ill intent from the gaze, so she let it slide. She didn't let the eyes on her form make her nervous; she'd drawn more than her share of stares from onlookers as she'd made her body more graceful, more deadly.

She finally finished the section and she fluidly came to a halt. Lexia lowered her hands and straightened her form as she looked up at the onlooker.

 _Huh._

Lexia could honestly say she was surprised when she saw the spectator was none other than the Snow Queen herself, platinum hair highlighted by the moon's gentle silver glow. Lexia had to restrain herself from showing her surprise at how different, and beautiful, Queen Elsa looked under the full moon.

Still, Lexia couldn't understand why the queen would be watching someone train so late at night, but she supposed curiosity probably accounted for most of it. She gave a shallow nod to the queen, not particularly caring if she saw it or not, and then turned back to her circular footwork and did a few more sets of motions, this time with her magic in mind specifically, before calling it a night.

A quick glance up to the balcony that the queen had previously occupied showed that Elsa was nowhere to be found. When movement to her right caught her eye, Lexia turned to see something disconcerting.


	5. The Debt Repaid

Hey guys! So I decided that I'll post two chapters today, and then, depending on how many reviews I get in the meantime, I may post more chapters ahead of schedule. So don't be shy, and please review to tell me what you think of the plot thus far. Thank you to all that have reviewed so far!

Enjoy!

* * *

Elsa watched with fascination as the foreigner moved with grace and agility. Such skillsets were rare, to say the least, and Elsa could only wonder how the stranger, Lexia, would use the weapon that she had so calmly discarded when she had saved Anna.

Lexia slowed to a stop, and inexplicably looked up.

 _She's good._ Elsa thought. Lexia's senses must be something extraordinary if she was able to feel Elsa watching from so far away. Lexia nodded and then proceeded to ignore her.

Feeling slightly embarrassed to have been caught staring, Elsa retreated back into her office that had once been her father's. She heard a knock at the door and bade the knocker to come in.

Anna gave a cute little wave as a greeting before turning to close the door behind her. She looked as if she had something specific to say.

Elsa smiled fondly at her sister and waited at a window that would also enable to continue watching Lexia train by herself. Anna came to the window and followed her gaze.

"Interesting woman, isn't she?"

"To say the least." Elsa responded before she could stop herself. "Is something wrong?"

Anna looked a little sheepish. "Oh, it's nothing."

It was definitely something (with Anna it never _wasn't_ ), but Elsa didn't ask.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Sooo..."

Elsa quirked an eyebrow and waited for Anna to continue.

"Now that Lockhart's out of the picture, you _are_ going to need someone to take his place." Anna said.

The queen saw where this was going, and to be honest, she'd thought along the same lines herself.

Elsa laughed. "She doesn't seem like the kind of person who would stay somewhere permanently at a moment's notice."

"Well, you paid Lockhart a fair amount, right?"

"Doesn't look like money could sway her either." Elsa paused. "What makes you think I'm desperate for her to stay?"

Her sister giggled. " _You_ said that, I was just impressed by how she didn't even have to touch the Captain of Arendelle's army to send him running."

"I agree she's talented, but she doesn't seem like one to bend."

"But you want her."

Elsa's mouth dropped open, shocked that her sister would make such an implication.

Anna seemed to realize her unintentional innuendo and hurried to clarify. "As Lockhart's replacement?"

Now feeling silly that she had allowed her mind to wander in such an improper direction, Elsa felt her face turn red as she blushed.

Then her sister seemed to really catch on. "Unless you _want_ her..."

Elsa blinked. "I-"

The second princess of Arendelle pointed a finger in Elsa's face and glared. "Don't even try to lie to me, Elsa."

"I admit I find her... _attractive,_ " she confessed. "But..." She'd be a fool to act on such a feeling.

"Elsa," Anna said, placing a hand on Elsa's arm. "You know I'll always love you, no matter what, right?"

The ice queen felt her heart melt at her sister's statement. She opened her arms and found herself enveloped in a hug that was not unlike the one they had shared after Hans had tried to assassinate her.

They separated and Anna bounced a little on her toes. "Well, I'm off to bed." She waved as she reached the door. "Goodnight, Elsa."

Elsa smiled warmly as her sister departed. "Goodnight, Anna."

* * *

Lexia tried not to look like she was in too much of a hurry as she walked around the walls that surrounded the palace. She knew where the shadow had scaled the wall, and she didn't have to guess where the dark figure had been headed.

Finally, she spotted the guard that had been one of the gentler men that had dragged her to the palace in chains. Thomas, she recalled.

He caught sight of her and nodded. "Good evening, Miss Le-"

She ignored his greeting. "You might want to have someone process the queen's chambers." She proceeded to gesture in the direction of the main wing of the palace.

He looked bewildered. "Why would I-"

Lexia resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she started walking away. "Just trust me. Or don't. I don't really care."

Thomas narrowed his eyes. "What should they be looking for?"

She raised a mocking brow, as if to say, " _What do you think?_ "

He hurried off. Lexia didn't think he would've needed a detailed explanation as to why she made the request that she did, but she supposed she should be grateful that he trusted her so easily. Or maybe she should be worried instead.

Lexia almost chuckled at the thought of Lockhart's face as he seemed to reason out her special ability. The man must have, at some point, had some suspicions as to how she'd known that Ada had the finger marks that she did. She certainly couldn't have known from directly seeing the injuries, because of the barmaid's outfit, so how?

As she'd grown older, her magic had allowed her to see a sort of aura that surrounded each person uniquely. Even for someone like the Snow Queen, who was probably the most comfortable at sub-zero temperatures, every living being generated a certain amount of body heat that was unique to that particular creature. All humans had a body temperature within a few degrees, but with enough practice, it was possible to make distinctions of slight differences in heat. Of course, it had taken years of training to be able to distinguish one person's heat signature from someone else's.

She hadn't known for certain that the assassin was headed to the Queen's room, but who else could he have been sent for? Certainly not the princess, unless the plan had been to take a hostage to blackmail the queen, but Lexia doubted that. The heat signature (quite obviously lower than anyone else's at the palace) that was characteristic to Elsa had been the same as the room that the assassin had crawled into. Unless Queen Elsa made a habit of sleeping somewhere other than her own chambers, of course.

If she'd had her father's temperament, she would've left Queen Elsa to her fate, as it was no one's fault if not the queen's that the palace guard was not trained sufficiently to anticipate these matters. But Lexia had owed Elsa a debt for letting her off so easily after kicking Lockhart's ass, and now it had been repaid. She started to walk leisurely back to her room after considering the possibility that the guard might be too late to save Queen Elsa.

Lexia paused at the stairs, staring at the air in front of her, lost in thought. Sighing, she turned on her heel and started in the direction she had last sensed the queen's heat signature.


	6. A Proposition

The next evening, after Queen Elsa had insisted that Lexia dine with her, Anna and the Ice Master and Deliverer, Kristoff, the Snow Queen cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention.

"Well," she said conversationally. "There was a slight...incident yesterday."

"What kind of incident?" Anna queried.

Lexia continued eating slowly and calmly, not especially paying attention to what the queen was saying.

"Anna, don't freak out," Elsa looked fondly at her sister, predicting her reaction. "A man was found hiding in my room last night." Anna gasped and Kristoff choked on his water. "We think he was sent to kill me."

 _What could have possibly given you that impression?_ Lexia thought dryly.

 _Not as empty-headed as she looks, eh?_ Lexia internally rolled her eyes.

Elsa addressed Lexia. "You don't look surprised, Lexia."

Lexia's expression remained neutral. "It wouldn't be surprising that a queen would have assassins coming after her." She lightly smirked. "Aren't your staff trained to handle this sort of thing?"

"No, they aren't." She looked down to her hands, which were folded in her lap. "These things don't happen very often in Arendelle." A strange sadness that Lexia didn't understand seemed to settle over the queen as she stared off into space.

Elsa shook her head, as if that would rid her of thoughts of the assassin. "In any case, Lexia, I'd like to speak to you after you've finished, is that alright?"

The other woman gave her a deadpan look. " _You_ are the monarch, Queen Elsa; you don't have to ask permission."

The queen smiled. "Nevertheless."

Lexia supposed that was the end of the discussion, then.

When Anna and Kristoff had finished, they left the room, saying they had errands to run. Elsa stood and Lexia leisurely followed her lead as Elsa headed for the door.

"We can talk in my study."

Elsa led the way, Lexia taking notice of how the dress of the queen clung to her skin, giving it an almost ethereal glow. She quietly marveled at the ice-blue dress' design, how it flowed around the queen's waist and hips as she walked with light, graceful steps down the hall. She couldn't deny how attractive the Snow Queen was, in more ways than one; it was a wonder she wasn't constantly battling off suitors with those icy powers of hers.

They finally reached the queen's office and Elsa opened the door and stepped inside, motioning for Lexia to follow.

Lexia remained where she was even after the queen closed the door behind her.

When the foreigner raised a questioning eyebrow in her direction, Elsa decided to skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point.

"I saw you practicing martial arts movements last night." Lexia nodded. "You look experienced at it."

"I suppose." Lexia could honestly say she had no idea where Queen Elsa was going with this.

The Queen smoothed the front of her dress in a nervous gesture. "I would like to request your services."

Lexia raised a brow. "My...services?"

"I want you to train the castle guards."

Whatever Lexia had been anticipating, it certainly hadn't been that.

While it briefly crossed her mind to consider the offer,

"I refuse."

Queen Elsa looked perplexed at the immediate answer. "Any particular reason why?"

"I'm not accustomed to being told what to do." Lexia left out the part about wanting to get as far away from Palladon as she could, and as quickly as possible.

Elsa laughed. "No, I don't suppose you are, but that's why you would be the one in charge. I will give you full authority to over palace security to train the castle guards however you see fit."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with your recent troubles with assassins, would it?"

Elsa smiled noncommittally. "Why, yes it does." She gave Lexia a look. "Not that you would know anything about that particular predicament, though, right?"

The fire user decided against dignifying the rhetorical question with a response. It was obvious that Queen Elsa had her suspicions about what Lexia's involvement might have been in the would-be assassination attempt, but Lexia didn't care to know the specifics of the queen's thoughts at the moment.

"Please," Elsa wasn't worried for herself so much as for the kingdom as a whole. "If they don't know how to defend the palace properly, how can I depend on them to protect my subjects when I can't?"

Lexia had to admire the determination to protect her citizens so selflessly; her father certainly hadn't displayed that impulse very often.

She started to turn down the request again. "Queen Elsa..."

"You can have anything you want," Elsa pleaded. "As long as it's in my power to give you."

Lexia doubted the queen fully understood exactly how that statement would sound to someone with less restraint than she.

 _Hm._

"' _Anything'_ is quite a dangerous promise, my dear." Lexia sneered at Elsa, taunting her. "What would you do if I coveted something you couldn't give to me?"

The queen's expression turned determined. "I would never go back on my word; I would do anything in my power to give you what you wanted."

Smirking, Lexia stalked like a feline predator towards the Snow Queen and stopped only inches from her, looking deeply into her eyes. Queen Elsa looked vaguely surprised at Lexia's sudden lack of regard for personal space. Lexia almost tenderly cupped Elsa's chin in one hand, gently caressing the queen's lips with her thumb.

Elsa stood mesmerized as the other woman drifted closer. She couldn't have pulled away even if she'd wanted to. The heat from the other woman's body was palpable in the air, and Elsa suddenly didn't want to resist the pull of the allure that she'd felt for this woman from the moment she'd first laid eyes on her. Her eyes fluttered shut.

Lexia looked at the sensual expression on the queen's face. _So that's how it is._ She thought she might have imagined the queen's eyes lingering on her form for a moment longer than was strictly proper on more than one occasion.

She sighed. Beautiful as the queen was, a kiss would only complicate things, now that Lexia knew how strong Elsa's resolve was. She wouldn't have had less respect for the queen if she had been willing to enter a physical relationship with her under the condition that Lexia would train her guard. Lexia had simply wanted to test the queen's resolve; how far she was willing to go, how much she wanted Lexia to agree to her request.

Lexia chuckled softly, startling Elsa into opening her eyes again to meet the other woman's.

"I suppose that's that, then." Lexia smirked cockily.

Elsa looked puzzled.

Amused, Lexia grinned faintly as she pulled away from Elsa, putting space between the two women again.

"Don't worry, _my queen_ , your chastity is safe for your future husband." She chuckled again as she went to stand once more at the window.

It finally dawned on Elsa that the foreigner was teasing her. She wasn't sure how she should feel about this, but she nonetheless regained her composure and cleared her throat.

"So..."

Elsa didn't see her roll her eyes, and Lexia said, "Yes, alright, fine, I'll do it." She glanced back at the queen. "I'll start first thing tomorrow."

Elsa beamed at the thought of her soldiers finally getting professional training. She clapped her hands together lightly and approached Lexia, lightly brushing her arm to get her attention.

Lexia turned her gaze away from the view of the fjord briefly to look into Elsa's smiling face.

"Thank you." was all Elsa said.

Lexia refrained from scanning the queen's form thoroughly. She settled for simply smirking once again, arching a sleek eyebrow in the process. "Don't thank me just yet."

Elsa smiled and retreated out of the room after bidding her goodnight. As the door closed, Lexia laughed softly to herself.

Maybe staying in Arendelle would be interesting after all.


	7. The Established Order

We meet again! ^^ So I decided I couldn't wait to post these new chapters, finally some character AND relationship development, yay! (Although the relationship development is in the next chapter xD)

Hope you guys enjoy, don't forget to review! ;)

* * *

 _Stupid idiots._ If Lexia had harbored any lingering doubts that Elsa was too lenient as Queen, they were quickly dashed as she strode out of the throne room and set foot in the courtyard. Queen Elsa had promised her that she would have Thomas assemble all guards that were employed at the castle to receive her as their new Captain and commander. In Palladon, Lexia wouldn't have expected less than all ranks standing stiffly and stoically, awaiting her arrival. Seeing a dozen of the soldiers rolling around on the ground, brawling like children, was certainly something that wasn't often seen in Palladon's Royal Guard.

Thomas, a conscientious man if she'd ever met one, stepped forward to break up the fight. Holding back a small sigh of irritation, Lexia held out an arm to stop him. It didn't bother her that the soldiers were fighting; men will be men, but fighting in front of their new superior...They obviously didn't know how to make a good first impression. That, or they didn't care one way or the other.

The guards that had already noticed her presence looked puzzled that she didn't look more upset that they weren't respecting her authority. She wasn't worried; Lexia was a patient woman and didn't mind biding her time a little longer to gain the full respect of the children who fancied themselves tough men.

She calmly stepped forward, deliberately loosening her sword belt and handed it to Thomas; it would only get in her way. The soldiers parted as she walked towards them; a few of them had already seen her send the former captain running with a simple look. Those men were obviously a little more wary of crossing the newcomer despite the fact she was a woman.

Fists flew and curses were tossed back and forth like noblemen exchanging pleasantries. The onlookers watched in astonishment as Lexia made her way to the center of the altercation without anyone laying a single finger on her. She weaved in and out of the men's paths with the grace of a swan, but with the same underlying burning intensity of a cobra, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

Lexia figured that the fight most likely had started with just two men making fools of themselves (the rest had simply joined in for the hell of it), so she looked for the pair that seemed to be putting the most emotion into their blows. That pair of idiots was easy enough to find, as they were the ones were swearing the loudest as well.

* * *

Thomas winced as the woman simply stood there for a moment, likely waiting to be noticed by the two men, though her posture suggested that she could've cared less if they did or not. The woman was particularly hard to read, but she had seemed to revel in the chance to make a clear statement about who was in charge to the rest of the men. This would certainly save her the trouble of having to raise her voice to get their attention. With luck, all of the men here would think twice before engaging in such moronic behavior while in Lexia's presence again.

This foolishness was something that Captain Lockhart had almost encouraged, and didn't hinder at all, insisting that a little aggression between comrades was good, healthy, even. It was clear, however, that Lexia didn't harbor any such feelings, and if she did, she was extremely good at veiling her emotions.

Thomas was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of two skulls being smashed into each other with enough force that even the passerby servants on the edges of the courtyard flinched at the sound.

Groaning, the centermost pair of squabblers sunk to the ground on the verge of unconsciousness. Lexia looked as bored as ever; leaning back on her heels with her arms crossed across her chest.

She raised an eyebrow at the audience that had gathered as she growled lowly,

"Are you finished?"

The two men at her feet finally gained enough of their breath back to wheeze, "What the _hell?_ "

Lexia looked down at them briefly and narrowed her eyes. "Get in line."

One man was quick to obey; the other (Loren, if Thomas remembered correctly), looked incredulous, as if he could believe that a woman had dared to give him an order.

Lexia stared him down. "Something you want to say?"

"I'm not about to be ordered around by some woman."

Thomas flinched at his characterization of his captain; he obviously hadn't been told of the shift in command.

"Oh?" It was clear to the onlookers that one should never mistake the quietness that always accompanied Lexia's tone with understanding or forgiveness. The woman had proven that she did not possess an excess of either trait.

"Hell will freeze over before I take orders from a wench."

"Hm." This time both of Lexia's eyebrows raised in what seemed like amusement. "Perhaps you should make a formal request to your queen to see if she'll make that a possibility for you."

The other man then realized who he was talking to. "You're the one Queen Elsa put in charge of 'training' us, right?" He looked her up and down.

Loren scoffed. "You couldn't do it if your life depended on it."

Lexia looked as if she wanted to laugh. "A wager, then." She then turned to address the crowd. "Shall we test his theory? I'm sure you'll have no problem accepting your defeat like men if you're wrong."

Turning on her heel, Lexia walked a few paces away and took on a relaxed posture that many experienced warriors would say had no place on the battlefield. "If I can't manage to knock all of you out within sixty seconds, then I'll leave on the next ship out of Arendelle without complaint."

She shifted her gaze to Thomas for a moment. "Thomas, I'll be keeping count, but you can be a safety to be sure I don't cheat."

Thomas doubted she needed someone to keep her honest, but he nodded anyway.

Loren was up from the ground so fast he seemed to reel in anticipation of knocking the arrogant woman on her behind. Or maybe it was because of the still-lingering head injury that Lexia had recently inflicted on him.

Loren turned to his brethren. "Well? Are you going to let a woman talk down to you like that?"

To their credit, the other soldiers seemed reluctant to engage Lexia, but it was because of her rumored prowess, and not because she was the new leader of the Queen's guard.

 _Looks like I'll have to change that._ Lexia smirked as three of the soldiers leapt forward in hopes of catching her off-guard. She shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet, raised her hands, and let her well-honed instincts take over.

To the reluctant onlookers, she let loose one final statement before connecting with the first man's face.

"Come on, then." She smirked. "Defend yourselves."

* * *

Elsa had to make a conscious effort to hide her amazement. She couldn't remember the last time someone had forced her to do that, but she would have been lying if she'd said that it was uncalled for. Who would've guessed that the strange, foreign woman had been _that_ skilled?

Sure, Elsa had been given a brief glimpse into the woman's abilities, but that was only because she had been one of the few who had been a witness not once, but twice before. Even if she hadn't, the prone bodies of her soldiers on the ground would've served as proof enough of her abilities.

Her new Captain, surrounded by the groaning figures of her guard, glanced up at Thomas with a bored look on her face. Even so, a small smirk graced her lips before she said,

"How many was that, Thomas? Twenty?"

Thomas was shaking his head and gave a suppressed laugh. "Seventeen, _Captain_."

Those soldiers that had already regained consciousness, albeit still on the ground, snapped their heads up at Lexia's title.

Lexia caught sight of Elsa then and inclined her head. "Sorry for the embarrassing state of your soldiers, Queen Elsa."

Elsa held back a giggle; she didn't sound sorry at all.

She waved a hand. "No, please," she said. "Don't mind me; I just happened to be passing by."

Lexia wouldn't have cared if the session had been personally supervised by God himself; she wasn't about to change her teaching methods just because one of her superiors happened to be there.

The Queen started to turn away, and Lexia suddenly remembered something that she hadn't asked last night.

Lexia spoke as she passed Thomas, "Five minutes." she said, "I want them all up and ready to go when I get back."

The former commander of the Palladonian army caught up with the queen.

"Queen Elsa, you gave me your word that I wouldn't be hindered in training your guard, is that correct?"

Elsa looked puzzled. "Yes, why?"

Lexia shrugged. "I thought I would clarify before I started. My methods may be more..." she groped for the right word. "Unorthodox than your soldiers are used to."

Elsa smiled. "If I thought my soldiers couldn't handle it, I wouldn't have asked you to train them, Captain Lexia."

Her Captain tilted her head for a moment and scoffed. "I suppose that makes sense." She bowed. "By your leave, then, Queen Elsa."

The queen watched her as she walked away, the way her trousers clung to her lean thighs like a second skin, molded to every curve. The way she moved exuded such confidence, lethality, and an innate business-like quality that Elsa had a hard time containing the intense effect the combination had on her.

Her thoughts flashed back to the sight of Lexia standing over her defeated guard.

Elsa had no doubt her soldiers were in good hands with Lexia of Palladon.


	8. Cursed, not Born

Lexia closed her eyes, allowing them a brief reprieve, and leaned back on her hands. The sun had set a while ago, but sitting on the roof of the balcony to her room beat being cooped up in her chambers all night. Her back rested against the roof tiles, the hard nature of the plating not doing anything for the subtle ache she'd accumulated today, but she'd felt worse.

Elsa's soldiers, for the most part, had good instincts, not unlike herself, but they needed to be honed, and properly. If such instincts were not cultivated properly, lethal mistakes were made, and people got killed.

Despite their initial gripe with each other, once Loren took her advice, albeit only once that day, he'd proved to be one of the most talented of the bunch. At this point, his only flaw was his headstrong nature, not a hint of submissiveness in sight. She would need to have care in dealing with him in particular. If she could win his trust, he could prove to be a powerful asset later on, despite his lack of magic.

The ever-burning flame in her subconscious burned brightly and she stroked it mentally and it arched like a cat being petted by its master. She smiled lightly. The control over the magic was hers, but the power itself, unfortunately, was not. She hadn't been born with the powers, but cursed. At least, that was what her father had always maintained.

In Palladon, there was a myth of a monstrously powerful fire demoness (Orinda, as Lexia later found) that had wreaked havoc over the land for years upon years, the kingdom struggling to survive, the demon was so malicious. Finally, a travelling priest that had gained a reputation for his skill with magical seals passed through Palladon after hearing of its distress.

Lexia sighed. It was said that one thing led to another, and the demon was sealed inside an infant of the royal family. The priest assured the rulers that the demon could not manipulate the child, so long as she bore a will stronger than the demon's. That was said to be centuries ago. So much time had passed, everyone in Palladon eventually forgot the emperor's sacrifice. Rumor had it that the child grew up to be mentally unstable, screaming at walls and setting the palace on fire countless times before the monarchs locked the woman away in the dungeon. It was there that she would remain, in chains, for the rest of her days, no longer a significant danger to herself or anyone else.

Lexia had later found the reason for the first princess's seemingly-insane rambling to thin air. When Orinda had first spoken to her, it had been directly after the first of what would become a very long line of traumatic experiences. The demoness loved trying to get a rise out of Lexia, and the chase was more interesting in this particular incarnation, simply because of Lexia's tendency to remain outwardly unaffected to anything that happened around her.

The emperor's advisors feared that if they killed the princess right away, the demon would be set free. They later found that the princess held an unusually long lifespan. The advisors attributed this to the demon keeping its host alive with its dark magic. It wasn't until the princess's many-times-over-great-niece was born, years later, that the princess's heart finally stopped, and the demon was transferred into another. The royal family took on a number of odd practices in an attempt to avoid having female children, as a way to prevent the demon's transfer. Of course, that wasn't something that they could really control, so on the cycle went.

Lexia almost regretted that her father cared nothing for tradition. If he had given a damn about what was considered 'normal', he would've dropped dead at the thought of her preference to women over men. Still, she had to wonder if that was really her own desires talking, or the demon's (it was rumored that the demon had preferred women). Not that she minded.

Something nagged at her peripheral senses. Apparently, there were two people not only up and about, but moving in what felt like a very stealthy manner.

Lexia sat up. They were too far away to tell age, or male from female. But since it was now her job to protect Arendelle's castle, she should at least check it out.

As she got closer, she rolled her eyes. It felt like the royal sisters were having a moment to themselves in a ballroom that she'd only ever seen closed off, up until this point.

 _They aren't standing physically close._ She thought. _What could they possibly be doing so late?_

As she reached the entrance to the ballroom, Lexia felt the temperature drop, and the door was open a crack, allowing her to peer inside without being seen.

Queen Elsa was in a sheer, icy-blue nightdress, and Anna had a nightgown of green cotton. Elsa was swirling her magic in her hands before throwing the ball of magic to the ceiling, where it seemed to shatter and rain snowflakes all around the room.

Lexia scoffed, shaking her head at the sisters' antics. Why they had to do this in the dead of night, she had no idea, but it wasn't any of her business what the royals did in their spare time.

The captain left the two sisters in peace and ended up in the library, reading a particularly interesting novel about ancient battle strategies and the maps that depicted them. Hours passed, and she left the library, intending to return to her room.

By chance, she happened to pass the queen's chambers and noticed that the queen's heat signature was off somehow. She was tempted to see if the queen was alright, but since Elsa controlled icy magic, it wouldn't come as a surprise to find that her body temperature was unusually low. Still, that was what bothered Lexia. Elsa's temperature seemed high than it should have been if Lexia's theory about Elsa's magic lowering her body temperature was correct.

That was when she heard a frightened cry from inside the room. There was no one else in the room with Elsa, so Lexia knew that it had to be the queen herself. Was she having a nightmare?

After checking to make sure no one would see her go into Elsa's chambers without permission (that would create more problems than it would solve), she quietly entered the room.

Elsa was thrashing on the bed, moaning as she twisted in her sleep. Lexia crept closer, noticing for the first time the tears that ran down the Snow Queen's cheeks.

"Queen Elsa." Lexia grasped Elsa's wrists to still her movements. " _Queen Elsa_."

"Anna..." Elsa wept, more tears appearing as she whimpered, "No!"

The queen finally shot awake, sitting up so fast she almost slammed her forehead into Lexia's. Luckily, Lexia's reflexes were sharp, and she pulled back rapidly, only to find herself locked in Elsa's clouded gaze.

"Captain Lexia?" Elsa blinked as if she thought she were still dreaming. "What are you doing here?"

Lexia couldn't exactly say she'd known something was wrong by the queen's _body temperature_ , of all things. Elsa would never believe her.

She settled for a half-truth instead. "I heard you scream."

Elsa looked to Lexia's hands that still lightly gripped her wrists. "Oh." She ducked her head. "I apologize."

Lexia didn't respond to the apology, but her eyes seemed to gentle as she watched Elsa look down with her brows furrowed, as if remembering something frightening. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The queen's gaze snapped back up, searching Lexia's face as if she'd forgotten she was there.

"I- um, n-no, I'm fine."

She most certainly was not.

Lexia raised an eyebrow and released Elsa's wrists before using a gentle finger to catch one of the salty drops that still lingering on the queen's soft cheekbones. Elsa looked up, saw the tear, and cocked her head.

The captain almost laughed. "Are you?"

The queen looked as if she was going to protest, her eyes narrowing, her lips pursed. She still hadn't wiped away her tears, and her chest still heaved with every breath.

Lexia shrugged and moved away. If the queen refused comfort when she was obviously in need of it, who was she to force it on her? It wasn't like Lexia was exactly doing what was natural to her, even offering in the first place. She didn't want to think about what the meaning of the change in demeanor meant.

"Um..."

Lexia realized she had stopped moving as she had been lost in thought. Elsa was most likely trying to find a polite way to order her out of the room.

"I'm leaving, don't worry."

She didn't expect the desperate hand that grabbed at her sleeve in an attempt to stop her.

The fire-user stopped in her tracks and looked at Elsa with surprise, then down at the shaking hand that gripped her sleeve like a lifeline.

"I-" Elsa looked away, red flushing through her once-pale cheeks.

Lexia's heart melted a little at the sight of the vulnerable Snow Queen before her. She thought back to before her mother had died, and there had been many a night as a small child that she had been in Elsa's position. Her mother had always handled it the same way, every time.

Her voice was soft as she spoke. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

Elsa bit her lip and released Lexia's sleeve, sat back on her heels and didn't answer.

Lexia sighed. Before the queen could protest, Lexia had picked her up and had sat back against the headboard with the queen in her lap, Elsa's head on her shoulder. Elsa had held on her Lexia's shirt for balance, and blushed when Lexia stopped moving.

"Go back to sleep, Queen Elsa." Lexia said in a gentle voice.

"I don't know if I'll be able to sleep like this."

Lexia rolled her eyes and proceeded to slide them down so that she and Elsa were on their backs, her body now only barely brushing Elsa's.

In what seemed like an uncharacteristic act of boldness on the queen's part, Elsa scooted closer as Lexia made to pull away, and settled her head on Lexia's shoulder once more.

Lexia wrapped an arm around Elsa's shoulders for comfort and was glad when Elsa sighed, signaling that she was trying to relax.

"I'm sorry." Elsa murmured.

"Shhh." Lexia tensed when she felt Elsa's hands on her side, grasping the material of her tunic as she shifted even closer. "Sleep, Queen Elsa."

At her Captain's gentle tone, Elsa finally thought it would be possible to go back to sleep after witnessing herself striking her sister again, this time so badly that even an act of true love wouldn't have been able to save her. She buried her head in Lexia's shoulder even further at the thought.

"It was about Princess Anna, wasn't it?" The captain's question was unexpected. "Did you freeze her heart again in your dream?"

Elsa didn't have to say 'yes' for Lexia to know that she'd hit the nail on the head.

The arm around Elsa tightened as Lexia said, "Put it out of your mind. Princess Anna is safe." Lexia didn't say that she knew for sure because Anna's signature was safe and sound in her own room; likely fast asleep.

Elsa sighed as she nodded, closing her eyes. The calm, strong, steady beat of her Captain's heart soothed her in a way she never thought possible. _She's so warm..._

Lexia was nothing short of relieved when she felt sleep finally overtake the queen in her arms.

She draped the arm that wasn't wrapped around her queen over her eyes with a sigh.

 _What the hell am I doing?_

Thankfully, Orinda had remained silent through the entire encounter. Frankly, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to her own question.

* * *

Don't forget to review! ;D And thanks for reading!


	9. The Most Important Lesson

Aaand here's a regular update, guys! Don't forget to review, I absolutely love to hear what all of you think as you read!

To Guest readers:

Cheezus: So glad you enjoyed it! Some parts are easier to string the words together than others lol

Anon: I swear on my mother that the demon possession had no bearing on the Naruto series! It was honestly just something I came up with and after I got two reviews pointing that out, I started to think, 'damn, that IS similar!' But I'm glad the similarities haven't ruined it for ya!

Thank you both for your reviews, hope to hear from you again!

Without further ado, enjoy! ^-^

* * *

Lexia quietly disentangled herself from the slumbering queen. Elsa had the most peaceful expression on her face. Lexia guessed Elsa had finally rid herself of the nightmares, at least for the moment. The captain couldn't deny that she hadn't slept so soundly herself in years, but the heat signature of one of the servants coming closer was enough to trigger her always-alert senses into reality.

Elsa moaned softly and seemed to regret the loss of contact.

Amber eyes softened and Lexia pulled the sheet up to cover the queen more effectively, not that she thought the queen would need it.

She was long gone by the time Gerda stepped up to the door.

* * *

"Elsa's been a bit out of sorts today, hasn't she?" Anna picked at her food while Kristoff tore into his.

"Just leave her alone." Kristoff said through a mouthful of food. "I'm sure she'll come around."

"But what could've happened to make her like that?" Elsa had been acting weird all morning. First she was late to breakfast, quiet during the entire meal, then walked right into a closed door, seemingly lost in thought. Anna had thought it was funny at first, but now she had to wonder.

If that wasn't enough, Elsa had set a record for the fastest-eaten dinner that night. Anna was amazed that she still made such an un-royal like action look so regal.

Did it have something to do with this Lexia woman? The captain seemed to be going about her business as usual, and nothing looked out of the ordinary.

She shook her head. Maybe Kristoff was right, and she was worrying about nothing. Elsa was allowed to have her off-days too, right?

* * *

"You sent for me, Queen Elsa?"

 _Sooomebody's in trouble~!_ Orinda sang cheerily in her head.

Lexia promptly told Orinda to shut up as she opened the door to the queen's study and quietly shut it behind her.

People had been whispering all day that the queen had been acting strange, walking into walls and such. Lexia didn't have to guess what was making the queen uncharacteristically clumsy.

Elsa had fought the nagging feeling of disappointment that had flooded her when she realized her Captain had left sometime after she'd fallen into the one of the most restful slumbers she'd ever experienced.

"Captain Lexia." Elsa turned around and smiled when she saw her. "I wanted to...thank you for what you did last night."

Lexia bowed. "It was no problem, Your Majesty."

The queen nervously wrung her hands. "I actually don't have dreams like that very often." Her gaze seemed to be somewhere else. "I had struck my sister, when we were kids."

This didn't surprise the Palladonian, but she listened anyway.

"It was an accident; we were just playing, and I had made little snow hills for Anna to jump to and from." She sighed. "She was leaping too fast and I couldn't keep up with her and I-"

"Queen Elsa." Lexia didn't understand why sharing an awful memory with her was so important to Elsa, but if it was that painful to share, Lexia didn't want to be the reason why.

"That's when my father dismissed most of the staff in the castle. He thought I could control it, contain it." Elsa looked down at her hands. "He told me to conceal my power; not to feel it."

Lexia had to hold back a snort of derision. "Then he was a fool."

"What?"

On impulse, the captain moved forward and clasped Elsa's hands in hers. "He was a fool to think that he could control something so powerful, or that you could control it without proper training." Her eyes were narrowed. "And he was a fool to tell you to ignore your nature, to hide it."

"He was just scared for me, he-"

"He should have trusted you to find a way to deal with your power in your own time." Lexia sniffed. "He should have allowed you to grow into it. As it is, he only made it worse for you, locking you up like a criminal and hiding you away from the rest of the world."

Elsa looked like she wanted to argue, but couldn't. When she glanced back at her hands again, they were shaking in Lexia's.

Lexia softened her tone. "Try not to worry about the past; what's done is done and there isn't anything you can do about it now."

The queen looked up into her eyes. "How do you know so much?"

For some reason, it saddened Lexia to think she couldn't be completely honest with this woman. Mean-spirited and cruel though her father had been, he never told her to hide who she was. When he discovered her abilities, he had thought more of how to use them for his own gain, and that was why he pushed her to control her power. He hadn't been afraid of her, but she had a feeling Elsa's father couldn't have helped feeling anxious about such a great threat to his kingdom, even if it was from his own daughter.

Lexia closed her eyes and sighed softly before opening them again to meet the queen's waiting gaze.

"I've...been through something similar." Surely the experience itself had been exactly the opposite, but the outcome had been the same. They had both been trained from an early age to not to feel or show any emotion; warned that if they did, it would be disastrous for everyone around them. Lexia's formerly earnest nature had made keeping her desire for companionship difficult to contain, but after her first encounter with Orinda, Lexia had grown more reclusive to the point that being alone no longer bothered her. Elsa, apparently, hadn't been so lucky.

Elsa seemed to accept the vague answer and leaned into Lexia's touch for a moment longer before Lexia released her wrists.

"If what happened last night made you uncomfortable, Queen Elsa-"

"What? No!" Elsa cried, then, realizing she'd raised her voice, blushed. She looked down, embarrassed. "Not at all! I mean, thought it was just a dream at first, you know, and-"  
Lexia smiled softly at Elsa's babbling. She'd never would have thought mindless chatter could look so endearing.

Elsa stared up at her in awe.

The captain raised a brow, and the smile disappeared. "What?"

"You smiled!" Elsa laughed. "I knew you could!"

Lexia blinked rapidly a few times, startled, before she stepped back slowly and cleared her throat.

"Well, if there's nothing else, Queen Elsa..."

Elsa giggled. "No, nothing, captain."

Her captain bowed and then made a hasty exit.

Who knew her stoic captain would be so cute when flustered!

* * *

Lexia placed a hand on Loren's shoulder to hold him in place. "Easy."

Loren scoffed.

His captain glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Something funny?"

"This is stupid." He whispered, gesturing to the stag not seventy yards from them. "Shouldn't we be back at the palace, training?"

Lexia snorted. "If you think that learning how to pin someone to the floor is the only training you'll need to succeed in defending your queen, then you're an idiot."

Narrowing his eyes, Loren was about to yell something back, but Lexia slid forward, closer to the brush that they were hiding behind.

"Hush now." Lexia gestured towards the stag. "Look."

The stag had noticed something was off. He'd lifted his head and was sniffing the air.

"Now?"

 _The idiot's going to scare it off!_ Orinda was always in the best of moods when Lexia was in the middle of hunting. Lexia could never shake off an unwitting sensation of pleasure that ran through her when she fought, and she knew that Orinda was to blame.

"Hold." Lexia's gaze was intense; her eyes resembled burning embers. "You won't be able to catch him by running; anticipate his movements and cut him off."

Frowning, her trainee looked back at the stag.

"Focus." Lexia murmured. "You know this terrain; trust your instincts."

Loren steadied his hands on the bow he carried. He had already tracked the stag this far without much help from Lexia. The man was good at trusting his gut rather than his head. Pity those instincts could only get him so far. He had to learn to listen, watch, and keep his mouth shut until just the right moment.

Which was a hard lesson for her charge to learn, apparently. Lexia knew that Loren would probably have been happier with the shotguns that her father had invested in for his war plans, but Lexia didn't particularly care what the man wanted. This was what was going to make him more useful to Elsa. At least, this was the first step.

Lexia nodded to the man as he raised his bow to take the shot before the stage darted off.

The arrogant fool made the mistake of physically revealing himself before the stag had returned to his original grazing position. Lexia knew he would more than make up for it with his marksmanship, but seeing Loren have to sprint a few feet after the deer wasn't exactly the result she was going for.

Loren finally stopped and aimed his bow at a blank spot in the air, just as the stag ran in that direction.

The arrow was released and hit its intended target with a _thunk!_

Orinda whistled in mock-admiration at his marksmanship, right after hissing in annoyance after the stag had bolted.

Lexia scoffed, resisting the urge to rub the bridge of her nose. "Now just think, how much less energy would you have exerted if you had actually done as I told you?"

Loren glared. "Look, I got him, didn't I?"

Lexia walked past him, then smacked him upside the head so fast he didn't see it coming.

"Don't get smart with me, moron." She glanced at the spot where the stag had fallen. "He's still alive, which means you didn't do your job right."

The man rubbed his skull. "What difference does it make if he's still alive right now?" He shrugged. "I'm just going to kill him in a minute anyway."

"Then you've failed to grasp the second point of the lesson." She turned and strode to the stag, placing an ironically gentle hand on its side as she slid a hidden dagger out of its sheathe. "It's the single most important lesson that I can teach you."

Loren looked on, eyebrows drawn. "Which is?"

The woman pursed her lips in disdain of what she was to do, seeing all too clearly the parallels in the difference in power between Loren and the stag, to herself and the rest of the world. Save, perhaps, for Elsa.

She snapped out her answer to his moronic inquiry as her strike to the deer's heart, swift and true, hit home.

"Mercy."


	10. To Fight Like You Mean It

Lexia easily avoided another clumsily thrown punch. After dodging the closed fist just long enough to have it sail safely past her right cheekbone, she turned slightly and grasped the slender wrist and forced it behind her charge's back.

It was obvious to Elsa that her captain was significantly holding back on her. She didn't know whether to be insulted or glad about that fact. She knew there was no way she could ever hold her own in a fight against someone as experienced as Lexia without using her magic.

With her wrist forced up in what seemed like an attempt to have that hand reach the back of her head, Elsa's shoulder strained slightly at the pressure. Still, she knew Lexia could make it a lot worse. She would've almost rejoiced at the closeness that she and the object of her recent infatuation now shared. Lexia was not even breathing hard, while Elsa's chest heaved as she tried to regain her breath.

Behind her, Lexia frowned. This was going nowhere. These sessions, requested by the queen herself, were going to be a waste of both hers and said queen's time if the royal didn't start taking this seriously.

It was beyond Lexia what the merit was of an already-discovered-and-accepted magic-user learning hand-to-hand combat. Elsa insisted it was because she 'couldn't very well spar using her magic' with someone who couldn't fight back. The ignorance of the queen, through no fault of her own, had almost made her break down laughing right then and there. Instead, she had accepted the queen's request to be a sparring partner/teacher.

In Palladon and the surrounding kingdoms, Lexia had not been famous by name, but her skill and magic certainly had drawn equal shares of fear and admiration from both enemies and allies alike. Because no-one knew her name (her soldiers had simply called her by her title, 'Vanliga', at that point), she could travel without drawing too much attention. When she did need to fight, she did so without her powers as much as possible. Thus, she needed to be able to fight without her magic to be able to travel by herself. Elsa had no need for that with the knowledge of her powers already out in the open.

And as nice as being physically close, if only briefly, to Elsa might be, Lexia was sure that both she and Elsa had better, more productive ways they might be spending their time. Namely, getting in more training sessions for Loren so he could take over after the soldiers had learned all she could teach them. Arendelle's security would be in their own hands from there.

Not that she really wanted to leave. In the past weeks, she'd grown closer with both her charges that she trained and the royals she protected alike. If she were being honest with herself, she was growing used to the constant peace that seemed to invade Arendelle's atmosphere. It was inexplicably contagious to Lexia, especially since she had been groomed from birth to take her father's place in commanding his armies, which she did, eventually.

She and Elsa had gotten closer as well, but Lexia wasn't convinced that the newly shortened distance between the two of them was for the best. She was a warrior, with instincts honed and sharpened like the sword that she wore tied at her waist. She was the ruler of Arendelle, kind, beautiful, diplomatic, and most of all, pacifistic. They were all wonderful qualities in Lexia's view, especially in the quantities that Elsa held them, but Lexia had no place at the side of someone so reluctant to hurt someone else. Elsa's fear of conflict was endearing, but that reluctance to defend herself wouldn't be an asset if someone were to physically attack her, especially if that time came after Lexia had left Arendelle for good.

"I think we should stop." Lexia carefully disguised the disappointment in Elsa's progress. The Pallidonian was convinced that Elsa had a talent for combat hidden deep down. So deeply, Lexia was certain, it only surfaced when her life was truly in danger. Elsa had indeed improved from when they'd started, but she still held back.

"One more time." Elsa pleaded, readying the stance that Lexia had taught her and prepared another strike.

 _Look at her, all ready to go again._ Orinda whispered snidely. _I have to say I'm always impressed at the stamina you seem to inspire out of beautiful women._

Lexia shook Orinda's voice out of her head. "This isn't working."

"What?" Elsa knew that Lexia had held back, but why would she stop?

Lexia tried not to glare accusingly at the queen. "You obviously know how to use your magic to defend yourself, so I'm not worried about your innate lack of talent for hand-to-hand combat."

Elsa pointedly ignored the thinly-veiled insult. "So what is it?"

Her captain, astonishingly, looked bored and irritated at the same time.

"You lack of conviction is a problem." She said scathingly. "You aren't fighting me like your life depends on it."

Elsa laughed. "Because it doesn't." She stopped giggling at the expression on Lexia's face, an expression that plainly said that Lexia was not amused in the least by her joke. "Isn't the point of this just to learn how? I don't have to want to kill you to learn how to defend myself," She hesitated. "Do I?"

Lexia mentally rolled her eyes. "The reality that I'm not trying to hurt you makes no difference; it's not the point." She narrowed her eyes. "The point is to visualize this situation as dangerous as possible, so you know how to deal not only with your opponent, but also the rush that comes with fighting that opponent."

"What do you mean?"

"Sparring with me isn't the same as fighting someone like an assassin." She sighed and shook her head again. "I guarantee being in a fight with an assassin will be a lot different."

Elsa looked properly chastised.

"If you don't fight seriously now, you won't be able to do it when it really counts."

"I-" Elsa looked up to find the other woman already coming at her again. She gasped and tried to evade.

"Maybe I overestimated you." Taunting the queen into anger (and thus a serious use of her abilities) wasn't the first idea that had come to mind, but it was the one she was going with. "You're just not cut out for this. You're the Queen of Arendelle, you really think you'll ever have to fight your own battles?"

Lexia scoffed, ignoring the slight furrowing of the queen's brow. "It doesn't matter what you do, you'll never look like anything else to other kingdoms but a sheltered," Lexia blocked a punch. "Weak," And another. "Immature queen who doesn't know the first thing about war or conflict."

That did it. Elsa took all the physical power she possessed and threw all of it into one swift, high kick that would have knocked Lexia off her feet if her years of training hadn't kicked in at the last second.

Lexia knew she had a look of mild surprise on her face as she looked at where she grasped Elsa's thin ankle, stopping it mere inches before it hit her square in the face. She almost smiled. Elsa's initial form for the attack had been flawless, using everything Lexia had taught her so far, keeping her back straight, her knees bent, and her hands still up to guard her torso even after striking.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem that Elsa ever expected to actually come that close to hitting Lexia, as she hadn't been prepared for Lexia to render her immobile by grabbing her leg so firmly.

Lexia let out a soft breath, watching as Elsa breathed harshly, in and out, signaling her anger at Lexia's tactless and out-of-line commentary.

Elsa let out a quick squeal of surprise as Lexia twisted her foot around and took her other foot out from under her, landing her bottom solidly on the floor.

Her mentor put her hands on her hips and she heard Elsa growl in frustration. She quirked a smile. Elsa never _growled._

Lexia made sure to make eye contact with Elsa before she said, "Better." Ice blue looked deeply into gold. " _Much_ better."

Elsa sighed. "I still ended up down here."

Her captain actually laughed that time. _Laughed!_ "It'll be years before you can floor me without using your magic, Queen Elsa. " She nonetheless held out a hand to her queen to help her up. "You understand why I said those things to you, right?"

Taking her hand, Elsa sighed again. "Yes, I understand." She looked down at the ground, then back up to meet Lexia's eyes. "Do you...use that tactic a lot?"

Lexia grinned as she chuckled. "Only for my more...reluctant students." She couldn't help but stare as Elsa laughed as she completely forgave Lexia's previous insults. It was clear to Elsa now that she hadn't meant a word of it, she was only trying to get her to really show Lexia what she'd learned.

The two women smiled at each other before Lexia settled back into her stance. "Come on, then," She held up her hands. "Again."

Elsa mimicked her captain's position and pursed her lips in a suddenly serious (and if Lexia was being completely honest, absolutely adorable) expression on her face.

The older woman's lips curved into a slight smirk as they started again.

* * *

"The solstice?"

Elsa gave a small smile. "It isn't something that I really _want_ to attend, but it is a requirement of sorts for all the monarchs of the land."

Lexia listened only half-heartedly. Of course she'd heard of the Solstice Congregation; she'd frequented it herself as a guest on occasion, assuming she hadn't been otherwise engaged carrying out her father's war plans. It was a grand event that happened every other year; some old fool's attempt to strengthen relations between the differing kingdoms. All rulers that didn't want to insult the others attended, mostly as a political obligation rather than an act of peace. Lexia had no doubt that Elsa attended with the latter in mind.

The queen would probably be leaving after celebrating Princess Anna's birthday slightly earlier than usual, considering the solstice would also mark Anna's 20th birthday,

"Captain Lexia?"

Lexia snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to meet Elsa's puzzled gaze.

"Is something wrong?"

The fire-wielder shook her head. "Of course not, Your Grace."

Elsa didn't look like she had bought the statement, but she seemed to take it as what it was; a brush-off.

She smiled. "Well, I hope you will be well-rested for the trip? It's quite a ways to Corona."

Lexia blinked. "Corona?"

"That's where the Congregation is this year." Elsa cocked her head. "I just...you'll be accompanying me, right?"

"I'm paid to train your soldiers, not attend royal gatherings as a bodyguard." Lexia didn't want to think about what might happen if anyone at the Congregation recognized her. At the very least, Zmeya might finally gain a clue as to her whereabouts. And that was if no one tried to capture her and ship her back to Palladon first.

"Captain, please." Elsa said. "I'll feel much safer if you're there with me."

Lexia pushed aside the feeling of pride at the compliment. "Will Loren not do? He's still got a ways to go, but I'm sure he can do the job."

It wasn't a complete lie. After the episode in the woods, Loren had become somewhat more compliant with her training methods. Not obedient, but less pigheaded than their first encounter. Lexia could honestly say he was one of the most talented men she had ever trained.

"With all due respect, Captain," Thomas piped up from behind them. "I think you're much better suited for the job."

The captain shook her head. "I'm not even halfway done with your soldiers yet, Queen Elsa." She tried suppress the increasingly persistent pounding in her head. "I'll be much more useful here."

What Lexia didn't expect was feeling her heart melt at the sight of Elsa's face falling slightly in disappointment at her refusal.

The queen looked down at her hands, looking sheepish."If you're sure, Captain."

 _She really wants me along that badly?_

Lexia sighed. Why couldn't she tell this woman 'no'? "I suppose I could spare a few days."

The expression on the Snow Queen's face was priceless to Lexia. Elsa's eyes lit up and grew as bright as stars. Lexia could almost see herself reflected in the queen's eyes if she dared to look hard enough.

Elsa wanted to throw her arms around the Captain, but held herself back what with Thomas still being in the room. "Thank you, Captain Lexia."

Lexia tried not to sigh again as she closed her eyes and bowed. "It's my pleasure, Queen Elsa."


	11. The Green-Eyed Monster

Heeeello~! Oooh these next few chapters are gonna be sweltering (though maybe not in the way some of you are hoping ;DD)! I'll post just one chapter today, and then I'll do the regular update in a few days!

Guest Reviews:

Anon: Did it occur to you that maybe Elsa planned the _really_ close-quarters combat that way on purpose? hehe ;) And I'm so happy you're liking this! I think Olaf got it right on: loving someone means putting their needs above your own! And male or female, I think Elsa needs someone who is more emotionally closed off than she is...just so that she can learn to be more open and then the other person does too :) Can I also just say: I LOVE your reviews? lol Keep giving me your thoughts, and I may consider writing a filler chapter centering around Lexia's bonding with Olaf xD It did cross my mind once or twice, I have to tell you! Oh and I love thinking of the whole story while listening to "Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith...I think it nails it ;) love that song so much! xDD it's beautiful in its simplicity~

Enjoy, and don't forget to review and tell me how evil I am once you've finished the chapter! ;D

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In the end, only Loren and only a few other soldiers were chosen by Lexia to come along to the Congregation for the queen's security. Lexia knew they wouldn't be the most help in a fight, but they were among the most diligent and dedicated to their Queen. Loren just seemed to be thrilled about getting out of Arendelle for a few days.

Lexia's energy declined more as the days leading up to the Congregation went by. Her shoulders felt like she was carrying a great weight and she was on edge all the time.

By the time the day of departure arrived, most everyone had felt Lexia's shift in mood for the past few days. Even the good-natured Olaf was a little wary of approaching her while she was in this state.

The captain closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to rid herself of the fog that clouded her mind. The fog that she knew from experience would only get worse as the solstice approached. Until it passed, she would have to make a larger effort to keep her usual calm.

 _This is why I didn't want to go._ But as Lexia held Elsa's horse as the queen prepared to jump up, their gazes met, Elsa smiled, and the building weight in her chest seemed to lessen just a little.

Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad.

A slight wave of dizziness forced Lexia to place a hand on the neck of the queen's mount to steady herself. _Or maybe not._

Lexia tried to fight off her growing exhaustion in the days of travel that followed. The trip itself was mercifully uneventful, but she couldn't stop staring at the Snow Queen every chance she got. It didn't matter if the queen was on her horse quietly or sitting by the fire, chatting with her guards, Lexia was captivated by everything the woman did, every gesture she made.

It was seriously starting to irritate her.

Halfway through the journey, after Lexia had dismissed the rest of the soldiers for the evening, Elsa sought her out.

"Captain Lexia?"

Lexia remained calm. "Hm? Queen Elsa?"

Elsa said nothing, but perched herself beside Lexia and just stared at the fire.

"Thank you for lighting the fire for us."

Lexia scoffed. "It was no trouble." She looked at Elsa out of the corner of her eye. "Besides, I doubt you're one to be bothered by the cold."

Elsa laughed. "I guess that's true."

They sat there for a while, with Elsa doing most of the talking, and when she wasn't, they sat in a very comfortable silence. Lexia found that she was able to forget, if only briefly, the impending solstice.

Lexia was nothing short of relieved when the group reached Corona without any problems. Her head was splitting and her chest felt like it was about to explode from the amount of heat she was holding back.

They were greeted graciously by the king and queen of Corona, as well as by the Lost Princess herself and the Prince Consort, Eugene. Elsa inclined her head at the king and queen in greeting. Princess Rapunzel and Elsa seemed to get along quite nicely, considering they were cousins, though Lexia suspected that Rapunzel and Anna would be two peas in a pod, were they ever in the same room.

"Captain Lexia?"

"What is it, Queen Elsa?"

Elsa looked unsure. "There isn't much to be done until the ball tonight..." She met Lexia's gaze. "Why don't you take the afternoon off and I'll see you in a bit?"

Lexia didn't even have enough energy to tease the queen and ask if she wanted her gone that badly, she could've just said so. No, she ended up spending the afternoon in the forge. Exhausted though she was, this was the only place she could think of that she could let off the heat that was building without anyone really noticing the difference in temperature.

The fire-user had cooled off a bit by the time she had to get ready for the Congregation Ball, but the heat would not let up until she had let it all out, and she couldn't do that just yet.

She was afraid to think of what could happen to Elsa if she were too physically close and Lexia couldn't control her magic anymore.

She shuddered. At the very least, she would never stop having nightmares about the events, not unlike Elsa.

Once she had bathed and changed, she awaited Elsa in the receiving room that adjoined to the ballroom. Lexia steeled herself for a night of listening to politics and more politics. Her headache would no doubt be much worse before the night was out.

"Are you alright Captain?" Elsa spoke softly to her.

"Quite well, Your Majesty." Lexia's tone was stoic as always. She didn't bother turning around.

Elsa still didn't believe it, but hoped that the afternoon off had helped her captain regain some of her energy; she seemed fatigued as of late.

"Alright, if you're sure, Captain."

"Of course I'm sure, Que-" Lexia started to snap, but as she turned around, her breath caught in her throat.

Queen Elsa looked lovely. Her normally borderline scandalous ice-blue dress with a slit up the side had been replaced with a more modest, but just as flattering, lilac ballgown with what looked like white fur decorating the collar of the gown, although upon closer inspection Lexia noticed that the fluff was not fur, but fine snowflakes crafted by Elsa herself. The pristine, snowy collar ran down the middle of the dress to meet only once at Elsa's waist, then fanning out in a manner that only emphasized how mature a woman the Snow Queen really was.

Lexia couldn't remember the last time a woman's appearance had left her so speechless. Zmeya's allure had been mere instinct, a trained response, and no could have blamed her; the sensuality of the woman was almost tangible in the space she occupied.

The reason Lexia found Elsa attractive wasn't because of mere physical aspects. If she wanted a purely physical relationship, there were plenty of willing women that she could choose from, if not in Arendelle, then somewhere close by.

No, it was completely different with Elsa. She had qualities that Lexia had never found in anyone else, or at least anyone with who possessed the combination of flattering qualities that Elsa did.

"Captain?"

Lexia somehow found the will to tear her eyes away from her stunningly beautiful Queen.

"Are you ready?" She asked instead, offering her hand as a formality so the queen would not have to enter alone.

Elsa looked as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she stayed silent and nodded, taking the offered hand.

The guards opened the door and Lexia winced as another bolt of pain sliced through her head. Her hand tightened on Elsa's briefly, leaving the queen wonder as to the reason, but was soon swept away after her introduction before she could ask.

Lexia took her place on the side of the room, along with the multiple other bodyguards that had accompanied the various royals from all around the continent.

There were, of course, the King and Queen of Corona, this year's host kingdom. The Prince Consort and Princess Rapunzel were present as well, animatedly conversing with Elsa and a few other nobles not far from where Lexia stood.

Princess Anna and Kristoff had wanted some time to themselves, and Lexia had insisted that the whole royal family not travel together as one to the Congregation, as doing so would make both Arendelle and the royals themselves bigger targets, as only one well-timed attack could throw Arendelle into chaos. Queen Elsa had seemed reluctant to think in such a negative manner, but she was logical by nature, and had consented to the two younger adults staying behind in Arendelle.

As the night progressed, nobles had come and gone from the group that Queen Elsa was in conversation with. One noble in particular, a young man in his twenties, had been one of the few who had remained close to the queen for the majority of the evening. This was odd, considering he hardly contributed anything to the ongoing discussion of peace between the kingdoms. Lexia noticed that he only ever opened his mouth to say something arrogant or condescending.

Lexia supposed the dolt (she'd heard one of the women call him Lord Stephan), could be considered handsome, if she had ever looked at men in that way. His locks were neatly combed back and his shoulders were broad and sturdy, though Lexia suspected his mind was anything but. Still, his smile had most of the women in the vicinity swooning, blushing, or struggling to form a coherent sentence when its disarming ability was unleashed on them.

She heard Orinda giggle in her mind. _Your queen doesn't seem to be fooled, though._

Lexia couldn't say. The appearance of the demon's voice in her head had doubled the pressure in her head, making her want nothing more than to have her queen blast her with her ice magic just to make some of the heat go away. It was hard to concentrate on anything else.

If that wasn't enough, the lord had been asking Elsa to dance for half the night, only to have the queen refuse him every time. This didn't satisfy Lexia very much, though, considering the fact that, every time he was refused, his attraction to the Snow Queen only seemed to intensify, leading him to start standing closer and closer to Elsa and the night wore on. The ever-present, refilled glass in one of his hands was not a very reassuring sight either.

The captain tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to put a lid on her rising temper. It was only when the idiot man had had one too many drinks that her temper rose to the surface. He had tried to persuade Elsa, once again, to dance with him. Under different circumstances, the look of disdain on Elsa's face as he took her elbow in what looked like a too-tight grasp might have calmed Lexia down a bit. At least enough to not knock the insolent boy into next week. .

But the sight of someone touching her queen without said queen's consent was enough to propel Lexia rapidly across the ballroom, grab the boy's wrist and twist it harshly behind him, unmindful of his yelp of pain and surprise.

"Captain!" Elsa cried, lowering her voice to hiss, "Release him, now!"

Lexia almost growled at the boy who was struggling to get free of her iron grasp. It felt like there was an inferno raging just beneath her skin, fighting to sear its way through to the surface. Steam was probably radiating off of her by now, and judging by how the young man started to sweat profusely, despite the temperate climate of the room, her skin was just as hot to the touch.

The haze suddenly receded from Lexia's gaze and she saw the horrified look on Elsa's face. If there was one thing Lexia hated doing more than losing her temper, it was losing her temper in public, for all to see.

She abruptly dropped the boy and turned on her heel, barely keeping from snarling at the onlookers who scrambled out of her way as she strode to the door.

Lexia didn't even realize Elsa had followed her until the doors behind her were shut loudly with a _bang!_

"What was that all about?"

The exhausted fire-user had neither the time nor the energy to waste on hearing Elsa berate her for doing something that Elsa should have done herself, which was shoving the bastard away.

 _Maybe you just don't want to admit to the possibility that she liked his touch._ Orinda taunted.

Lexia _didn't_ want to admit to that, and the reason why was starting to become clear to her. Her anger simmered, barely contained, just below the surface. Elsa, however, had learned to read her too well to not notice that something was definitely off.

"Captain..." Elsa approached the woman as if she were trying to console a frightened, dangerous animal. Lexia didn't move, but Elsa could practically taste the trepidation that Lexia exuded from where she stood, even from several feet away.

"I've never seen you so anxious before." Elsa couldn't understand what had made Lexia so on-edge. "What's wrong? Are you sick? Is there -"

" _Fine._ " Lexia hissed. She'd known Elsa long enough to know when she wasn't going to let something go. The woman wouldn't give up until Lexia had answered all her questions, and then some.

Unfortunately, none of those questions were ones that Lexia was prepared to answer.

After hearing the acid in Lexia's tone, Elsa seemed to freeze. She'd never heard Lexia sound so... _aggressive._ Where was the woman who had single-handedly, and with a straight face, tenderly comforted her after a nightmare?

"You want to know what's wrong?" At this point, the Palladonian wouldn't have been surprised if her eyes had appeared crimson with rage as she spoke. " _What's wrong_ is that I've been wasting my time here."

The platinum-haired queen looked puzzled, as if unsure where this outburst had come from. "I-"

"I don't think you realize how far I could- _should_ \- be away from Arendelle." Her breaths came harsh and fast and they tore through her throat. "I didn't have to stay, but do you know why I did?"

Elsa didn't, but she had certainly wondered. She shook her head.

Lexia stalked a few feet forward, still keeping plenty of space between the monarch and herself.

"I thought I could see a strength in you that _you_ didn't even know existed." She said. "I thought that your ability to say 'no', to exercise your authority as a queen, but still be kind and gentle, were your best qualities." Her eyes narrowed.

Elsa's brows furrowed.

Lexia continued, shaking her head. "I didn't realize is that you'd let just _anyone_ get away with touching you, like some common harlot, if it meant you could avoid offending an idiotic foreign dignitary."

Tears pricked at the corners of the Elsa's eyes, but she knew instinctively that there was something wrong; her captain would never insult her so heartlessly without a reason.

...Right?

Elsa reached out so that she might offer some form of comfort to her off-kilter companion.

" _Don't_ touch me." Lexia hissed like a viper spitting poison into the eyes of its victim. "Don't ever touch me." She scoffed, backing further away from her queen, almost stumbling over a table in the process. "You just don't know when to stop, do you?"

Lexia knew she had hurt Elsa's feelings, and her heart clenched painfully at the watering of the queen's eyes. She wanted to take it back, but all she wanted was for Elsa to just leave her alone.

Her head was splitting and her chest hurt when she thought of how much she must have wounded Elsa with her words.

Before she could contemplate the implications of her actions, Elsa had picked up the hem of her dress and had fled the room before Lexia could stop her.


	12. The Cat

Yes, I _do,_ in fact, realize how evil I am for leaving off on a cliffhanger last time haha! Thankfully for you guys, you only had to wait another couple days to find out what happens to stoic Lexia and sweet Elsa!

Oh and I think the next chapter is the longest yet!...You're welcome ;D

Anon: I love your humor, _yes_ it would have been funny to see Lexia do that! In every romance storyline I've ever written, I love the build-up/sexual tension/angst the best...I love exploring what the couple _is_ before the sex...Makes the eventual explosion all the more invigorating ;D

One more thing: there is a contest going on on Inkitt that I have entered with this story...Those of you that have added this story to their favorites and alerts...it would mean a lot if you took a second to "heart" the story on Inkitt! I'll say it again lol IF YOU LIKE(D) THE STORY SO FAR, PLEASE LIKE IT ON INKITT! It's under the "Fandom 2" contest :D Oh and the story has all its chapters on there too -_-'' hehe so if that's more motivation for ya, then all power to you!

Enjoy, my lovelies, and don't forget to review! :)

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" _Don't touch me. Don't_ _ **ever**_ _touch me."_ Her Captain's harsh words ripped through Elsa's heart like a dagger.

As she ran uphill, she tried to force away the thought of how childish she was acting by running from the Congregation that would help maintain a peaceful existence for Arendelle.

 _What was I thinking?_

She'd been thinking of her Captain, that's what. And too much, if she was being honest. Captain Lexia simply liked teasing her, that was all. It was clear she felt nothing more for her than a soldier's devotion for their queen.

Elsa wrapped her arms around herself. Still, she'd thought they were friends, at least. Didn't friends tell each other when they weren't feeling well? It was obvious to her that the Captain didn't feel fully up to the duty of guarding her tonight. And why did she act so strange with Lord Stephan?

She simply didn't know what to make of any of it. And now here she was, displaying her emotional immaturity to every royal that knew of what happened. Which, she knew by how much servants were known to talk, was every royal in the place.

The queen rubbed her forehead, trying to take comfort from the snow that swirled around her, as it always did whenever she was upset about something.

She never heard the telltale _click!_ of a crossbow being loaded.

Lexia trudged through the thickening snow. Even if she hadn't upset Elsa, the snowstorm still would've come. Elsa was probably safer than anyone, out here in the icy winds, but that didn't stop her from worrying. It was her fault that Elsa had ran, after all.

After Elsa had ran from the room in tears, Lexia had waited a minute or two before going after her, just to make sure that she had herself under control. She hated losing her temper; Elsa brought out more of her uncharacteristic hot-headed temperament even on a good day. It wasn't until she had asked the soldiers at the gate of Elsa's whereabouts that she found that Elsa had ran right into the impending blizzard. Lexia hadn't hesitated in hurrying after her, and it was only when she was a fair distance away from the castle that she thought again about what she had said to Elsa.

A pang of guilt sliced through Lexia's heart at the thought. She shouldn't have snapped at the girl. Elsa was only trying to help, and Lexia had shoved her away, just as she did with everyone else.

Her past physical relationships with other women had been few, but that was only because the woman that had kept her chained for so long was insanely jealous of anyone that she thought was infringing on her territory. Because of that, Lexia was in no way limited in her knowledge of how to physically please another, but emotionally...Lexia could honestly say she was significantly less experienced in that respect.

The former Palladonian didn't want Elsa touching her for multiple reasons, the least of which was to keep herself from getting completely addicted to the Snow Queen's gentle nature.

Lexia looked at her hands. The heat that had been building inside her like a too-hot furnace was slightly tempered by the snow around her, but that wouldn't stop someone from getting burned if they touched her while she was like this. Normally, she handled hot temperatures quite well, even going so far as to enjoy them more than the cold, but the heat became unbearable every time the seal weakened.

The demon would never break free, she knew, and the two of them were as friendly as a parasite could be with their host, but even if they shared a mutual respect, Orinda would never go so far as to hold back her power when the seal weakened every solstice.

A voice resounded in her head. _What fun would it be if I held back on you, little one?_

Lexia glared at the air. "Just shut up."

The demoness laughed. _Well, don't take too long finding that queen of yours, my dear. You know you don't have an excess of time left._

Her host snorted. "Careful, Orinda. I might start to think you actually give a damn."

Orinda laughed and then fell silent.

 _Come on, Elsa,_ Lexia thought. _Where are you?_

She felt the queen's heat signature up ahead, but that wasn't the only one she felt.

Lexia's heart dropped into her stomach as she picked up her pace.

Elsa sighed. She should really head back, but she didn't want to face the captain of her guard just yet. Looking up at the sky, she marveled at the beauty of the powdery snowflakes that caressed her face like a lover.

The queen looked down sadly. There was only one person that she would even consider, and it was obvious they didn't feel the same way.

"Queen Elsa!"

The Snow Queen looked up to see Lexia running towards her. Elsa stood and contemplated running again when a flicker of silver in a tree to her left caught her eye.

She heard the sound of a metal catch being released and her heart stopped.

Lexia didn't think, although she knew her actions wouldn't have been any different even if she had. She let loose her magic in the arrow's direction, not caring how much energy she spent if it meant that arrow didn't find its target.

Her aim was true, and the arrow evaporated into thin air, and she blasted the assassin's hiding place after she was sure Elsa was unharmed.

 _You fool!_

Lexia felt her shaking knees give out on her as she caught sight of Elsa's frightened expression.

"Lexia!"

She could only faintly hear the sound of running footsteps before Elsa slid to a stop beside her, moving to cradle her neck.

Lexia's hand shot out and smacked Elsa's hand away.

"Don't touch me!"

Elsa's hurt expression was more than she could bear and felt herself fall forward to lean on her elbow, breathing heavily. Her hands clenched, and her fingers dug into the snow-dusted ground.

"Just...don't." Lexia was too exhausted to yell anymore. "I'll burn you."

"What?" Elsa watched in horror as her captain shook like a leaf and fought to draw breath.

"I-" She struggled to breathe. Finally, she looked up and into Elsa's worried eyes. "I don't want to hurt you."

Elsa stared at her in awe, remembering all the times when she'd said that to her parents, with the same protective intentions. She never would've guessed it would've hurt so much to have someone say it to her, though.

Lexia's chest was heaving and sweat was running down her temples, soaking her hair. What was wrong with her?

The captain's strength seemed to finally give out and she collapsed into the snow. Despite the woman's wishes, Elsa had to help her. Carefully, she brushed a hand across Lexia's brow and quickly snatched it back. Lexia hadn't been kidding; she was burning up badly.

Luckily the heat wouldn't effect the Snow Queen as it would anyone else.

"Hold on, Lexia." Elsa whispered, hoping Lexia could hear her.

A pained moan was her only response, even as Lexia opened her eyes.

Looking up into Elsa's worried gaze, she rasped out, "What a face, Queen Elsa." She rasped out a laugh. "Does my pathetic state worry you that much?"

"Of course it does!" Elsa cried indignantly.

Lexia scoffed before her head fell slack to the side as she passed out.

Elsa found a small cave in the mountainside that would do for shelter, though she didn't really need it. Before tonight, she would've thought that Lexia needed it, but after what she'd just witnessed, she wasn't so sure.

She had flames shooting out of her hand. Elsa looked at her own hands. _It's not unlike my own magic..._

But why would Lexia keep it a secret? She would've thought Arendelle, of all places, would've been the ideal place to make a secret like being a magic-user known.

Tears threatened, and Elsa tried hard to shove them back. Lexia was still burning up, sweat beading on her brow. Why wouldn't Lexia open up to her, if only as a friend?

Lexia gasped in her sleep and Elsa was snapped out of her thoughts. She used the scarf that she'd pulled from around Lexia's neck to wipe the woman's feverish forehead. Her captain flinched and moaned again.

Elsa closed her eyes, withdrawing her hand. The answer was obvious; Lexia didn't trust her enough to open up to her. The thought made her throat tighten.

She hadn't thought that there was anyone else with powers like hers in existence.

"Elsa..."

The Snow Queen looked to the source of the pained moan. Her captain's face was drawn, pale and exhausted. She panted quickly, sweat trickling relentlessly down her face and dampening her hair. Her head occasionally thrashed back and forth, as if she were having an awful nightmare.

Elsa hoped she would wake soon.


	13. Is Out of the Bag

" _I don't know if I'm ready for this." I mumble as the young woman behind me ties the last lace in my corset and then checks my hair for any loose strands._

 _Sofiya steps up to face me and gently takes my hands, her cerulean eyes twinkling with reassurance. "You'll be fine, Lexia."_

 _Her smile is contagious and I soon find myself shyly grinning back, despite being in an unfamiliar country, with only one friend in the whole world._

 _I had no illusions about why my normally cold, calculating father brought me along on this trip. I was obviously just another bargaining chip that he sought to use to expand his territory, despite how large the kingdom of Palladon already was. Fortunately (or unfortunately), my father always seemed to know when he was outmatched, which was why we had come, so he could avoid a fight that he might have relished, but would've ultimately lost in the end._

 _The doors to the throne room opened and I looked upon the person I knew to be my future._

 _The boy, my future betrothed, no doubt, was average, in every way. Height, weight, looks. Even if he'd been handsome, I doubt I'd find him attractive._

 _My father proceeded to talk as if I wasn't right beside him, which was nothing new, but I kept getting a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that just wouldn't go away, no matter how hard I tried to push it out of my head. It was like having an itch that you just couldn't reach. It was almost lucky that my father was doing all the talking; I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on an intelligent conversation if I tried._

 _Even after the meeting was over, the feeling in my head had spread to my stomach. It made me queasy and I felt dread clawing at my insides. Was my life to be nothing more than this?_

 _I had known and had acknowledged the reality of my situation long ago. Still, somehow I found myself slipping away into the night after writing a quick note to Sofiya, telling her not to worry. I would have taken her with me, but all I wanted was to have some time to myself._

 _Time passed slowly, and the days seemed to drag by. I just kept on walking, and hitched rides on various horse-towed wagons going to gods-knew-where. I wandered aimlessly in a vague, northern direction; all I knew was that I didn't want to go back yet._

 _Somehow, I ended up in one of the largest cities in Lemuria. Vesuvia, which had Lemuria's border to the north and the sea to the west, was notorious for its proximity to a monstrous volcano to the northeast. I felt a strange sense of belonging as I entered the city that was located at the foot of the volcano._

 _I wandered through the market, the air tasting clean, despite the fact that the streets were intensely populated with bustling people intent on finishing their shopping. I used what little money I had on getting supplies that would see me through a voyage to an island somewhere off the coast of Lemuria. It was rumored that there was another mysterious land to the far west. If luck was on my side, maybe one of the islands had a place I could work to save money to purchase a boat to get there._

 _No one paid me much attention in Vesuvia, which suited me just fine, as I'd never had any problem being just another face in the crowd. Sofiya loved to tease my shy nature, laughingly saying, 'You're so cute, you're like a baby deer!'. I hadn't particularly liked to be related to such a timid creature, but I supposed if the shoe fit. Sofiya would usually follow up a compliment like that with a girlish squeal and a giggle as she patted me on the head, finding it adorable the way I would flush under the praise and attention._

 _I had no idea that our time together would be so limited._

Lexia shot awake, images of burning buildings and dark alleyways searing with blinding clarity through her mind. Those were moments she did not want to re-live under any circumstances.

Slowly and painfully making her way into a sitting position, Lexia rubbed her forehead, trying to will away the throbbing that still lingered after what she guessed was a long sleep. A low moan drew her attention to the right.

Elsa had her knees pulled up to her chest and was resting her forehead on her crossed arms. The position didn't look very comfortable, but Lexia guessed that the queen's slumber had been exhaustion-induced. Her breathing was slow and even, her eyelashes fluttering as she slept.

Lexia pulled herself up to sit against the wall to her back, still trying to fight the images that still plagued her mind.

After going to the market that day, she had looked for a safe place to sleep. She didn't want to waste what little money she had left on a room when she just needed to make it through the night, then she would be long gone by noon the next day.

That night, though, shouts and the smell of burning wood interrupted her fitful sleep, and she'd awoken to find people yelling and running past her hiding place in the rafters of an old barn. She shouldered her small satchel and followed the noises, knowing there was a fire nearby and maybe she would be able to help.

The fire had spread to all the floors of the enormous building. Lexia had thought that the structure had to have been several stories tall.

As she'd stared, hypnotized by the inferno, her vision had shifted. The fire suddenly lost its bright orange color, becoming a faded grey. There were two huddled spots of color to the upper left that had caught her attention.

Lexia hadn't realized at the time that she was actually seeing _through_ the flames into the interior, but as soon as she blinked a few times, not believing what she was seeing, the scene around her suddenly barreled back to reality. She instinctively had known what the small assortment of colors that she'd seen had been.

Sighing, Lexia's eyebrows furrowed as she remembered what happened next. She'd run into the building with no regard for her own safety and had come back out, to the absolute shock of the spectators, with two young children holding onto her for dear life. They all stared in shock at the prospect of anyone coming out of the inferno alive, much less unscathed, with not a scratch on her.

 _One of the women present snapped out of their daze and stumbled forward to take the children from her arms. I looked on at the soot-stained faces of the bystanders and wondered what was making them so speechless. It had been a surprise to me as well that the heat of the blaze hadn't hurt me, but I was probably just so focused on getting to the kids that had been trapped, I hadn't noticed._

 _The woman looked over the children that were barely conscious, but for the most part, unharmed. She looked amazed as she looked at them and opened her mouth as she looked up, but as soon as she met my eyes, she gasped and scrambled back in fear._

 _Seeing the woman start, the men and a few of the other women stepped forward to protectively shield the woman with the children._

" _What are you?" I didn't understand what had them so frightened. Hadn't I just saved two innocents?_

 _I asked them what was wrong, and a few of them turned and ran, to I knew not where._

 _In the back of my mind, I knew that it wouldn't be wise to stay where I wasn't wanted, so I slowly backed away, planning on returning to the barn to hide until the sun rose and I could escape to the docks. The fire had finally been contained, so there was no need for me to stay._

 _On my way back to the barn, I heard a commotion behind me. I hadn't seen any reason for urgency, and I'd assumed no one would care where I went, but I was mistaken._

 _I saw three men round the corner, another four close behind. When I saw the gold, red, and silver of a soldier's uniform, I ran._

 _A million questions rang in my mind as they spotted me and I heard the pounding of footsteps, quick in their staccato. What did they want? Why was I being chased, and more importantly, by Vesuvian soldiers?_

 _I turned multiple corners until I finally hit a dead end. This wasn't my city; I had no idea where to go. I couldn't go back to the barn; people had seen me emerge from there after I'd woken. It would probably be surrounded by now._

" _We got her!" They jeered. My eyes widened in fear as I realized that the soldiers, and not a few of the men, had their weapons drawn and at the ready. I didn't need the nasty images that flashed through my mind to tell me what they planned to do with me._

" _Please," I had no shame in begging for my life. Even if my future was unclear, I didn't want to be executed in an alley, especially when I didn't know what I'd done to deserve it. "What did I do?"_

 _I tried to make my body language as nonthreatening as possible, but it made no difference as the men converged upon me, with whispers of 'demon' and 'volcano' permeating the air around her._

" _Your eyes are that of a demon!" One man cried. "A cruel and powerful fiend lived on that volcano centuries ago, but tales are still whispered of Orinda, the-"_

 _Another man shoved the speaker's arm. "Don't say her name!" He hissed, as if the name itself would cause the demon to emerge and wreak havoc down upon the city._

 _Something within me jumped at Orinda's name._

 _The first speaker shook his head. "We have to protect this city from the amber-eyed beast that almost destroyed Vesuvia not three-hundred years ago." His eyes were cold and the soldiers stepped forward._

 _So they were just going to kill me? For what? Then I remembered the woman who had stepped forward to take the children from me and the way her demeanor had instantly changed the moment she had met my gaze. Her reaction made no sense. That is, until I factored in that apparently the manic demon that had caused such destruction to the city had yellow eyes. Sofiya had once told me that she thought her mind was playing tricks on her, that my eyes had changed to a light honey color if I was in the heat for a long time or I stared at a campfire for too long._

 _Two soldiers grabbed me by my arms and forced my head down. I opened my mouth to tell them to let me go,_

" _If you don't want history to repeat itself, you'll release me right this second." A feminine, dangerously calm voice that was not my own spilled from my mouth and I started at my words. What history?_

' _My' comment seemed to spark a hasty reaction from the men as one raised his sword. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the blow._

'What a bunch of idiots...'

 _Before I could question the source from which the strange voice originated, a scorching wave of heat suddenly enveloped my body and I felt the ground tremble beneath my feet. The heat then disappeared as quickly as it had come and I felt the energy drain from my body as I collapsed to the ground._

 _For the second time in as many disturbed slumbers, I awoke to the sound of screams. Or scream, singular. My eyes shot open and darted to the source of the sound, widening in horror at what I saw._

 _Their faces were still intact, but there was pink and red matter everywhere, splattering the walls and staining the front of my travelling clothes with a morbid crimson design that looked to be more common in a butcher's shop than on the body of a wandering girl no older than sixteen. The insides of their skulls were exposed to the air, with blue veins standing out against the coral color of the surrounding skin. The brains that had once occupied the hollow of the mens' skulls was now nothing short of unrecognizable, with blood smeared across the ground around the obliterated remains of the mens' heads where they had fallen._

 _My stomach roiled as I realized that I was the one responsible for the grotesque carnage. The woman standing above the bodies seemed even more disgusted as she gazed in terror at the mens' forms. It took not more than five more seconds for her to pull herself together enough to look up, her eyes falling on my barely-conscious form. It didn't take her long to put the pieces together and, seeming to know that she wouldn't be able to restrain me all by herself, backed away in fear, turned her back and sprinted as fast as she could, probably to get more soldiers._

 _I tried to force my body to move, but my limbs felt so heavy; I wasn't sure I'd make it very far before they caught me._

'Maybe you should just stay put.' _A bored voice rang in my head._ 'Running from predators only makes them more excited for the chase.' _The voice suddenly took on an elated quality._ 'Then again, my volcano is just a hop and a skip away, and besides, staying here would mean you'd be imprisoned...and I know _I_ certainly don't want that.'

" _Shut up!" My hands pressed against my head, wanting to tear my hair out in frustration and fear. I didn't know where the voice was coming from, if it even existed in the first place. I'd just killed seven men and-_

'No no no no no no...' _The voice rambled psychotically, sending images of a caged animal flashing through my mind. 'I_ killed those men, I won't have you taking credit for my kills, understand?'

" _There she is!"_

 _I ran. If I had been afraid last night, it was nothing compared to the emotions I felt ripping at my heart. My legs quickly started to ache as I breathed harshly through my mouth. I pushed people uncaringly out of the way as I tried to dodge the pursuit of the guards. . Eventually I came to the north wall, stumbling over my own two feet in my haste to run past the guards. But as soon as they caught sight of their comrades giving chase to me, I was quickly made the target of yet more guards._

'Good grief, they certainly don't know when to give up, do they?' _The condescending female voice in my head clucked her tongue and I could almost feel a smile in her voice as she spoke again._ 'Not that I don't enjoy dishing out a good thrashing.'

 _I felt something sear through my palms and I looked down to find that my hands were generating sparks as the guards came closer, surrounding me in a circle, with my back to the volcano._

" _Please, just stay away from me." I was getting tired of being chased. My body was weary and I felt a swirling within my torso, as if a hurricane was raging inside and was just waiting for a chance to get out._

 _I knew, in that moment, that I would do whatever was necessary to survive._

'Atta girl.' _She whispered seductively, as if she were a tangible person speaking directly into my ear._ 'Don't hesitate; kill them all.'

 _That certainly wasn't my first instinct. Flashes of the mangled corpses of my pursuers in the alleyway made me want to retch, but I knew I couldn't focus on the gruesome events just yet. The only instinct shoving its way into the forefront of my mind was to get the hell away from the city._

 _The guards started to advance on me, unsheathing their swords and demanding that I give myself up. I knew what they had planned, and I wouldn't stand for it. I would not be made a victim again._

 _I threw my hands up and tried to will the sparks to life. My wish was granted and gunpowder barrels sitting in a cart a few yards away spontaneously exploded, scattering debris on the onlookers and blowing away a few of the guards._

 _My gaze shifted back and forth rapidly like a caged animal, trapped with nowhere to go. Alarms were sounding, and I knew it was only a matter of time until every soldier in the city was here, forcing me into chains, then to the execution block._

'Enough!' _She snarled, then she seemed to take a breath, only to huff in exasperation._ 'This game is no fun at all if I can't enjoy it myself.'

 _The earth started to shake beneath my feet and a loud rumbling came from behind me. Somehow, I didn't have to turn and look to know that it was the Vesuvia's previously dormant volcano had awoken._

 _The soldiers, very suddenly, lost interest in my capture and started to run in the other direction. I could feel a feral grin tugging at the corners of my lips, relishing in the fear that seemed to instantly permeate the city in the a span of a few seconds. I didn't know whether to be reassured or horrified as I realized that the feeling of pleasure at the terror that was rampant in the atmosphere was not mine, but seemed to be coming from a dark corner in the far recesses of my mind._

 _The same place where the darkly sensual voice was radiating from._

 _Almost literally scared out of my mind, I scrambled towards the wall gates, where the guards were looking on in awe at the erupting volcano that was shooting masses of hot ash straight up into the darkening sky. I pushed past them, relieved when they paid me no mind, instead running in the direction of the central square. Tears burned their way into my eyes. Probably to help their families prepare for the coming catastrophe._

 _I ran farther, not noticing how the glowing cinders fluttering from the sky seemed to embrace me, shielding me from the raging environment, but not from the pangs of guilt that were tearing at my heart._

 _I could hear the maniacal laughter in my mind that was not a result of my own sense of humor. The voice seemed to think that my situation, the_ _ **city's**_ _situation, was hysterical. I could feel her amusement at the fates of the unfortunate Vesuvians. I didn't know whether the volcano's eruption would be the end of the great city, but I was too frightened to care at the moment. It was glaringly obvious that the voice did not care about their fates either, but for very different reasons._

 _Finally, at a fourth of the way up the mountain, I couldn't run anymore, and I collapsed to my knees, my hands immediately going up to cradle my head in an attempt to block out the still-giggling specter that invaded my thoughts. I tried to tune it out; I just wanted it to stop._

 _All of a sudden, it did. The eerie laughter ceased, but I soon realized that I had traded one problem for a whole set of new ones._

 _My vision blurred, and I groaned at the stab of pain that seared through my mind at the drastic, sudden change. I saw nothing anymore but varying shades of orange, making the imposing volcano above me look like the mythological tree Yggdrasil of Norwegian legend, pulsating with vibrant flares of red and orange._

 _It was beautiful, and the thought startled me. How could something with such destructive potential be so enchanting?_

' _That could be you, you know.'_ _The voice was back. 'Beautiful, powerful, hypnotic...And best of all, you'd never be hunted like a dog.'_

 _I had to admit the idea sounded tempting, not having to run anymore. I didn't know what would've happened if I'd went back to Palladon after this, but somehow I doubted that my homeland would have that much of a different reaction than the Vesuvians had._

 _Something in my chest hardened as I stood, narrowing my eyes._

' _So be it, then.' I thought. If being run out of the city was to be my reward for saving those children, then so be it._

' _I won't be hunted anymore.'_

Lexia calmly opened her eyes and took stock of her surroundings. Elsa was still asleep against the right side of the cave, her breathing inaudible over the howling of the wind outside.

The older woman looked away from Elsa as flashes of the time following her escape from Vesuvia returned to her. For months after she'd run, she'd had little to no contact with people, and she couldn't have been happier. She had finally been free to explore her powers to see what she could do with them. Although to be fair, she hadn't had to hide her entire life, unlike Elsa. Now that she thought about it, she didn't know a lot about what Elsa's situation had been. As far as she could tell, the late king and queen of Arendelle had been responsible for trying to tame and constrict Elsa's power, but Elsa didn't like to talk about it, and Lexia didn't ask. Lexia glanced at the sleeping woman.

 _She stayed with me._ That was certainly a rare occurrence, from anyone, not just Elsa. Her gaze softened as she looked at the slumbering queen. _Perhaps I shouldn't be quite so distant...It was that trait that got us in this mess to begin with, after all._

After fleeing Vesuvia and climbing the volcano to its peak, Orinda had started talking to her more and more inside her head. She was mostly ignored, but Lexia couldn't deny who, between the two of them, had more expertise in harnessing and controlling fire magic. As Lexia grew into her power, the more she understood Orinda's nature, and her methods. Not condone, perhaps, but understand.

Lexia tore her gaze from Elsa and looked out the entrance to the cave to the blizzard beyond. Neither of them would be bothered by the cold, but trying to travel in this weather would be foolish on any account.

Elsa stirred, making Lexia glance back over, even briefly considering closing her eyes again and pretending to still be unconscious. Discarding the thought almost as soon as it formed, she waited for Elsa to fully come to.

Even the usually stone-faced captain had to admit that the sleep-glazed look in the snow queen's eyes was adorable in and of itself. Elsa's rubbed her eyelids for a moment and then looked up to find Lexia's eyes on her.

"How're you feeling?" Lexia asked.

Elsa sat up from reclining position against the wall. "I should ask you that."

"It's nothing for you to worry about."

The queen looked as if she wanted to protest, but instead seemed to decide to keep silent.

A slightly awkward pause followed, and Lexia inwardly sighed. This whole thing was her own fault, after all. She might as well come out and apologize for it now, sooner rather than later.

"Queen Elsa, I-"

"I apologize."

The fire-user's eyebrows raised in bewilderment; she hadn't expected the queen to apologize first, if at all...After all, what had the queen to apologize for?

"I shouldn't have pushed you so hard." Elsa swallowed. "I had a feeling you weren't in the best condition, but I still-"

A warmer-than-normal hand covering both of hers stopped the Snow Queen's words in their tracks.

"Elsa, you have _nothing_ to apologize for." Lexia softly stroked the back of the queen's hands with her thumb in reassurance. "I'm the one that should be sorry, I didn't-"

"What did you say?"

Lexia blinked. "What?"

"You...said my name."

The former commander of the Palladonian army blinked in astonishment, not knowing what to say.

"Well, I-..." She cleared her throat, trying to come up with something to say.

 _It's not like you to be at a loss for words, dear._ Orinda giggled softly at her host's discomfort.

"Forgive me, Queen Elsa," Lexia bowed her head. "I was out of line, and I apologize."

"For shouting at me, or for calling me by my first name?" Elsa looked both pleased and amused at the thought of her stoic captain becoming so flustered.

"Both."

"You shouldn't be for either action, but I'll accept the apology if it'll make you feel better."

Lexia looked as if she was about to protest, but Elsa cut her off by holding up her hand.

"Captain, even when we first met, I'd felt a connection with you that I haven't felt for anyone before." Elsa blushed, realizing how her statement sounded, but carried on anyway. "And now I know why. That said, even though up until now our relationship has been strictly professional, I was hoping we could..."

Lexia wanted to bring the night that Elsa had woken up screaming from a nightmare into question, but the point seemed moot somehow.

"We can be friends?"

The fire user wasn't sure she'd had anyone ever actually _ask_ to be her friend, let alone have any intention of following through with it. But Elsa had asked, and Lexia had no doubt that the queen wanted just that; friendship...from her.

 _What a concept._ Orinda snidely remarked. Lexia had to reluctantly agree; she'd never really had any friends, save for Sofiya...and that had ended rather violently.

Elsa seemed to be taking Lexia's stunned silence the wrong way because she started to babble about how it was alright if they stayed colleagues instead.

Lexia held up a hand to stop the queen's rant. "Queen Elsa, I don't see any reason why we couldn't be...friends...if that's what you want."

"I just don't want the distance that you've always maintained between us to be there anymore...that's all." Elsa's shoulders slumped thinking about said distance.

Lexia thought for a moment. Even in Paladon, she'd never had any use for friends. Orinda, twisted as she was, was her constant companion, someone to talk to if she _really_ needed to, which was rare. Catherine was the only one in her homeland that had actually cared for her emotional well-being. She'd always been convinced, innocent and naive as she was, that Lexia had more of a heart than she would ever let anyone know about.

"I think..." Lexia started, taking a deep breath. "That I could manage that."

The elated look on Elsa's face was worth the internal debate of possibly letting someone closer, just a little closer, to her heart.


	14. The Snake Always Bites Back

Oh my, my, my! Looks like we're getting down to the wire here, folks! The last arc is about to begin! I'm going to be posting one chapter today and then the next couple chapters are fairly short so depending on how many reviews I get ;D I may update sooner rather than later.

Anon: As always, thanks for your review! Again, somehow I didn't really plan it that way; it just kinda happened lol I just wanted to make a character that could relate to Elsa on that level because that would really traumatize a child/adult, to be so secluded...talk about potential for absolutely NO social skills haha

As always, enjoy! Let me know what you think! :)

* * *

The rest of the solstice was blissfully uneventful. Once Elsa and Lexia made it back, they were immediately bombarded with inquiries about where they'd been. Thankfully, Lexia quickly thought of the excuse that Elsa had needed some fresh air and had wandered a bit too far. Elsa giggled later at the fact that the excuse had not been very far from the truth.

Eventually, the Congregation ended, and the royals were homebound once again. After the incident at the welcome ball, the "Lord" Stephan had made it a point to avoid the Snow Queen and her ever-present bodyguard. Lexia could not help but find the situation amusing.

She and Elsa became closer confidants, with Elsa feeling more and more comfortable around the leader of her guard. She hoped to tempt Lexia into a permanent position as her Captain, but had no idea how to go about such a thing. Still, she supposed she would worry about Lexia's departure when the time came, and enjoy the time she had left with her in the meantime.

* * *

"My Lady!" The guardsman exclaimed.

The raven-haired woman turned from her task. The infatuated general before her could wait another moment, she supposed.

"What is it?" She tried not to take her irritations out on the poor, innocent thing...He was just the messenger, after all. Too bad she had nothing to gain from him.

"They've found her."

Zmeya's head snapped around to look at the guard. There was no need to elaborate on who 'her' was. He could swear her eyes glittered like rock-hard diamonds, and the malice shining through was only rivaled by the twisted pleasure that she obviously had a hard time containing at the sound of the news.

The jubilated, hysterical laughter that followed made every person within earshot cringe as they wished that they lamented not listening to their now-exiled princess instead of the madwoman that now inhabited the palace.

* * *

It was unusually warm in Arendelle that summer, not that Lexia had no experience with her surroundings being too hot. Luckily for Arendelle's inhabitants, their Snow Queen was well-named, and decided to hold a snow day as a treat for the citizens.

Since Elsa now knew about her magic, Lexia made less of a conscious effort to not use it around her. Around others, however, Lexia was always careful to conceal her magic so that no one would be making a fuss about nothing. It wasn't that she thought the Arendellians wouldn't accept her magic for what it was, but people were bound to talk. And she knew better than most how fast word was capable of travelling. Zmeya had to have sent spies far and wide in hopes of catching Lexia and force her back to Palladon to be beheaded...or something equally as barbaric, like being kept as a pet in chains instead.

She had to admit, though, watching the children, and quite a few of the adults, laugh and play in the snow created by a kind-hearted queen did seem to help a bit to abate her increasing worry over what her next move would be if the worst happened.

That was, until Thomas, with a disheveled-looking soldier behind him, came running through the gates, nearly face-planting in the ice Elsa had created in their rush to cross the courtyard.

Lexia, having caught their almost-literal slip-up, motioned for them to go around and got Elsa's attention, letting her know of the guards' progress around the ice to speak with her. The queen and her captain made their way across the rest of the ice off to the side of the courtyard and then waited a moment for the guards to catch their breath a bit.

"Queen Elsa," Thomas breathed, not nearly as out of breath as the man beside him. It was obvious who had carried the message farther in its quest to Arendelle. "It's-"

"Palladon." The other guard chimed in, with Lexia noticing for the first time, the guard's differing colors. They were Arendelle's, but in a different pattern. She realized this must be one of the soldiers who manned the towers that resided on the inland borders of Arendelle.

Lexia froze at the mention of her homeland. Had Zmeya's spies finally tracked her here?

Elsa had also realized where the soldier had come from. It was an idea her father had formed when he ruled. Lexia had to commend the idea in theory, but having just a few men at the borders wouldn't do anyone any good if one's enemies came marching past...A warning could be given to the ruler only under the assumption that one man was able to get away from the oncoming attack.

"What about Palladon?" Elsa asked.

"It seems to be a small travelling party, no more than twenty, at the most." Thomas paraphrased while the other man was given water by a passing maid.

Lexia's eyes narrowed. She couldn't inquire whether or not Zmeya was present, since nobody in Arendelle knew of her ties to the Palladonian royal family. It would seem suspicious if she suddenly knew a detailed description of the new ruler of Palladon, considering Palladonian rulers were not reputed to be overly social with their subjects. Not to mention the fact how large a country Palladon was...Hardly anyone other than someone who lived in the capital would have a chance of ever learning what the Emperor or Empress looked like.

Thomas went on, "The woman in charge...she wishes to request an audience with you, Queen Elsa."

 _The "woman" in charge?_ This was looking worse by the second. There weren't many women that would fit that description in such a male-dominated country as Palladon. Men in Palladon rarely allowed a woman to be "in charge", and when they did, "allowed" had nothing to do with it; the rare times such an occasion arose, it was at the behest of a higher-up that gave them no say in the matter.

"Did she say why?" Elsa didn't have to say that a random, unannounced visit from the ruler of another country (assuming the woman leading the group was Zmeya, as Lexia suspected) was exceedingly rare; they were all thinking it.

"She said she wants to pay her respects as the new ruler of Palladon." Thomas didn't look at Lexia, but she had a feeling he believed that sentiment about as much as she did. _Plus_ he didn't know Zmeya like she did. If Elsa accepted her invitation, she could be walking into a trap...One ultimately meant for Lexia herself.

"They're armed?" Elsa inquired.

Thomas and the guard looked at each other and then said, "As much as any ordinary Palladonian, I suppose, Your Majesty."

Lexia couldn't be sure if Elsa caught the unspoken meaning in that statement: _armed to the teeth, not to mention they're ready and willing to fight._

 _Like that would be anything out of the ordinary from that barbaric homeland of yours._ Orinda chimed in. Lexia couldn't argue with that. Palladonians, men and women alike, went hardly anywhere without a knife somewhere on their person.

Elsa thought for a moment, then said hesitantly, "I don't really see why not..."

Lexia snapped her gaze over to Elsa. She couldn't possibly be that naive?

 _Clearly, she is._ Orinda chortled in Lexia's head.

Elsa proceeded to leave instructions with Thomas and the yet-unnamed guard that they were to escort the Palladonians to the palace, and to be sure to treat them as guests.

As she and the queen made their way back into the castle, Lexia had to force herself not to grab Elsa and shake her for her stupidity. She was truly willing to allow complete strangers within her borders so easily?

* * *

"What would you have me do?" Elsa asked, looking back at Lexia as she shut the study door behind her.

"Have someone confirm their intentions. Or at the very least," Lexia tried to resist rolling her eyes. "Have them disarm themselves first!"

"And risk offending the new ruler of such a large, powerful country?" Elsa shook her head. "Arendelle would have no chance of winning that fight; end of story."

Lexia fought to keep her temper in check. She normally didn't have such a problem controlling her temper. It must have been her fear for Elsa's safety that made her so on-edge.

 _Fear, is it?_ Orinda chuckled. _Now that_ _ **is**_ _a new one!_

Lexia had to admit to the truth in that statement. "Fear", or "strakh" in her homeland, was not a word that she allowed in her vocabulary. "Trepidation" and "caution", absolutely, but never "fear". What had she to fear when she had nothing to lose?

Only now, she _did_ have something to lose. Elsa's friendship, Arendelle's safety...Her peace of mind. There was more to lose now than ever.

Frustrated, Lexia growled. At this point, she was limited in her options to protect her new home. Not without revealing how and why she knew so much about Zmeya's likely intentions.

Elsa's voice cut through her musings.

"And it's only twenty men or so." Elsa moved around her desk, seemingly already having discarded the conversation's usefulness in her mind, and started to sift through the papers that laid upon it. "We can handle that many if things got out of hand."

This time, Lexia _did_ roll her eyes as she approached the desk.

"Then you obviously haven't ever been to Palladon." She stopped short a foot of the desk's edge. "The men she brought with her would be all she'd need to bring Arendelle to its knees."

"With my, and now your, magic at our disposal?" Elsa scoffed. "I highly doubt she would be able to take us both on with only twenty men." She tossed her braid lightly over her other shoulder. "You could take that many on by yourself, without my help."

"I never said the twenty were all she brought with her." She laid her hands on the desk. "Have you considered the possibility she brought assassins with her?"

"Oh come on, Lexia, Arendelle is so small compared to Palladon..." She made a gesture about the room. "What could she possibly hope to gain by conquering us?"

Lexia couldn't exactly say that it would be fair payback in Zmeya's book. If Zmeya knew idea how long she'd stayed in Arendelle at all, it wouldn't be a stretch to think that she had figured out that there had to be a reason _why_ she'd stayed, as well..

The fire user stood and glared at said reason for a moment before straightening.

Elsa held her stare.

"Why are you so against them coming here?" She glanced to the left and then back to Lexia's gaze. "You used to live in Palladon...Is there something you're not telling me?"

 _That would be_ _ **multiple**_ " _something's", dear._

Lexia tossed Orinda's presence to the back of her mind without thinking about it.

She couldn't tell Elsa about Zmeya and her past "relationship". It would ruin all the progress she and Elsa had made.

 _Progress towards...what exactly?_

Lexia attempted to keep the word "friendship" firmly lodged in her mind, but somehow the word never seemed to do justice to what she and Elsa had between them...

* * *

"I'm telling you all you need to know." Lexia shook her head, deciding the argument was useless; Elsa wasn't about to change her mind. "All I'm saying is be cautious...Being too trusting is one of your worst faults."

The queen had the gall to look affronted. "And what about your flaws?"

"Unless they are a threat to your safety, my flaws are none of your concern."

Elsa cocked her head, narrowing her eyes at her bodyguard, finally speaking after a moment. "How long are you going to insist on pushing me away?"

Lexia and Elsa stared at each other for several seconds, with Lexia being the first to look away. Elsa missed the contact of the other woman's gaze instantly.

"Just be careful your naivety doesn't become the ruin of your kingdom."

Elsa didn't miss the redirection of the conversation. She tried not to let her disappointment show, but she knew it wouldn't make the stoic fire magic user more likely to open up to her, even if she did.

As the door shut behind her captain, Elsa couldn't help but think,

 _It's not I have any power over her...I may be queen, but I don't command her heart._

Her own chest felt heavy as she considered the implications.

 _But the question is...In the end, is that what I really want?_

Despite her efforts to decipher her growing feelings for her captain, the Snow Queen still lay in her bed that night, no closer to understanding the fluttering sensation she got in her stomach every time she remembered the glowing amber eyes that conveyed more than their owner would ever admit.

* * *

It didn't take longer than a day or two for the Palladonians to arrive. Lexia didn't get much sleep since her argument with Elsa. The two had barely spoken to each other in the days since their intense conversation.

Elsa, for her part, couldn't understand, for the life of her, what had the woman so upset. She had a sneaking suspicion that Lexia and the Empress of Palladon had more of a history than her captain was willing to admit, but Lexia was a vault on such things; even before their squabble, she'd never been very talkative about her past...Not what she had done before she came to Arendelle, not about her parents...nothing. She knew instinctively, though, to only push the woman so far.

She figured she could confirm or deny any connection Zmeya had with Lexia once they foreigners arrived in Arendelle by the way the two interacted.

The platinum-haired woman stood at the gates awaiting the arrival of her guests. Her captain was, as always, standing a few steps behind her on her right side. Though the woman gave no external sign of impatience or nervousness, the way she had been training the guard much harder than she usually did the last few days served as evidence to Lexia's growing unease towards the meeting of the Snow Queen and the Empress.

As the carriage that she knew concealed the snake of a ruler approached, Lexia fought the urge to throw Elsa behind her and send a lethal shot of fire at the carriage, ridding the world of its occupant once and for all.

But she couldn't do that. The thought of Elsa finding out about her shameful past with the Empress sent a wave of nausea rolling through her body. She'd do anything to prevent it from coming to that, but as she watched the wheels of the cart pull to a stop, she felt as if she were being led to her own execution.

Seeing Zmeya emerge from the carriage did nothing for her anxiety. The woman still looked as seductively charming as ever, with her black hair pulled into an elaborate design and golden jewelry flashing at her throat and earlobes. There was no doubt her pristine gown was also part of a blatant display of Palladon's wealth and power.

Lexia forced her stiff body into a bow as the Empress approached, introducing herself so charismatically to the Snow Queen, neither bowing, but nodding in respect to each other. She could only hope Zmeya was in a rare good mood and chose to spare her the embarrassment of revealing their past relations to Elsa and her family right here.

Imagine her surprise when she found that not only was the Empress cordial and relaxed, she bore none of the negative, murderous aura that Lexia remembered her having the last time they'd seen each other. In fact, Zmeya completely ignored her, which was just fine with the fire user, but it didn't help ease her worries at all.

The empress' strange behavior continued throughout her visit, with Lexia becoming more and more convinced that this was all part of a sinister plot to render Elsa charmed and worse, trusting of the new Empress of Palladon. There wasn't a crack in Zmeya's demeanor to suggest her visit was anything more or less than what she claimed it was, but then nobody in Arendelle knew the woman like Lexia did.

Lexia's suspicions were confirmed later that evening, when all had retired to their chambers.

The captain approached her bedroom, her eyes narrowing at the realization that there was someone already in her chambers.

"You've become lax, my dear." A sultry voice said from the shadows and she closed the door.

They both knew Lexia had come to the unplanned meeting completely of her own volition; she'd known Zmeya was here.

"It _is_ my chambers." Lexia stated the obvious, knowing that it would be useless to demand Zmeya tell her why she was here outright. The woman liked to play with her food before eating it.

"Oh, I know." She stalked closer, and Lexia could make out the shimmering of a sheer black nightgown that had no place in such a cold, barren environment as Palladon. It was obvious it had not been made to preserve the wearer's body heat...That would be the purpose of whomever the wearer's bed partner for the night happened to be.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm here?" Zmeya purred, making no attempt to disguise her languid survey of Lexia's still-clothed body.

Lexia hummed, deciding to play along. "Alright. Why are you here, Zmeya?"

"Oh, _do_ say my name again." She sighed, moving ever closer. Once within distance, she reached up to drag her two forefingers across Lexia's cheek, digging them in at the first touch. The slight pain whispered of past games the two used to play back and forth, games of power to see who could make the other submit to their will first.

Lexia looked down at the woman with barely concealed contempt. She always won their little games, but deep down she knew it was because Zmeya never had any real desire to tame her. She loved the raw power and roughness Lexia exuded, even if all she was doing was standing calmly behind the timid Snow Queen's chair while Zmeya regaled the table with stories of her homeland.

The fire magic user knew she had to handle this situation very delicately; she didn't want it to get out of control.

She allowed her hands to be pulled towards the other woman's hips, moving them up and to the woman's back, holding her there almost tenderly.

" _Zmeya_." She breathed in the woman's ear. "Why _are_ you here?" She gripped Zmeya's hair in one hand and pulled down sharply the way she knew the other woman liked, making Zmeya gasp in pleasure.

"Hmm...Why do you think I'm here?" Zmeya said, her body already on the verge of vibrating with anticipation. "I want you back...with _me._ "

Funny, considering the last time they'd seen each other, Zmeya had just gotten done framing Lexia for her own father and stepmother's murders and had been intent on seeing her dead.

"Don't you miss your home?" Zmeya went on. "Your stepsister is just _dying_ to see you..."

"Liar." They both knew Catherine was far away in a place that only her stepmother had known where. Fortunate for Catherine, but not so lucky for Zmeya, who only found that out after the fact and thus lost her chance to eradicate anyone else with a legitimate claim to the throne.

Zmeya shrugged. "It was worth a try." She reached up and undid the tie binding Lexia's hair, allowing it to flow down to her waist. She wound her fingers through the newly freed tresses and whispered, "What I'm really interested to know is why you've stayed in such a _boring_ country so long."

Lexia didn't answer.

"It's that queen, isn't it?" Her voice was like poisoned honey. Sweet, but with an undertone of lethality to it.

The amber-eyed woman again said nothing, but instead bent to start lavishing Zmeya's neck with attention, alternating between mockingly sweet kisses and harsh bites that only left the Empress laughing.

"She _is._ " She choked through her gasps. Suddenly, the air of arousal and seduction was gone, replaced by an icy aura that would have rivaled Elsa in a cold fury. Zmeya yanked on Lexia's hair, forcing her head back to expose her neck. Lexia stayed calm, rolling with the usual mercurial nature of Zmeya's moods.

"I will _end_ her, you understand?" She hissed, baring her teeth as she said the words. "Her and this tiny, worthless kingdom of hers."

The threat to Elsa, while not unexpected, snapped something inside Lexia, making her grab the wrist Zmeya had at her throat and twist harshly, forcing the other woman's body away from her own.

"Touch her," Lexia promised. "And I will see to it that you don't live to regret it, Zmeya. You leave Elsa out of it."

And just like that, the playful seductress was back.

"Ooh, it's _Elsa_ , is it?" She clicked her tongue. "Such a _disrespectful_ little soldier you are, Lexia."

Lexia forced her arm further, earning a hiss caused equally by surprise as by pleasure.

"Is this love, Princess Lexia?"

The former princess started. What the hell did she think she was doing? She knew from experience that pain would only intensify Zmeya's instinct to hunt. It was bad enough she'd already indirectly given away how much she'd come to care about Elsa to Zmeya.

She shoved the Empress away, the other woman easily regaining her footing and laughed as she did.

"She didn't listen to you, did she?" Zmeya continued, baiting her. "She was too naive to listen to her loyal retainer."

At Lexia's silence, it finally seemed to dawn on Zmeya that she was not a welcome guest in this room. She turned towards the door and picked up her previously discarded coat as she passed.

"Well, don't worry, pet." She turned as she placed her hand on the doorknob. "I'll make sure she regrets that decision...you both will."

With that, the unstable woman that fancied herself in love with Lexia traipsed out of the room, leaving the fuming, exiled princess with nothing to do but ponder the likelihood of Zmeya making good on her threat against Elsa.

She came to one conclusion: Lexia knew Zmeya was many things, but capable of making idle threats was not one of them.


	15. Seconds to Break

Heeeelllooo~! You guys have just been so awesome I thought I'd update a day sooner! :D This is the first of two chapters that kinda go together, so let me know what you guys think and I might even post the other chapter tomorrow! ;)

Anon: I always hated it when people show Elsa as the one on top...haha that happens in Elsanna and other OC stories too often for my tastes...she just doesn't seem like that type to me xD And I didn't want to make it as if one side or the other was clearly wrong, again I kinda wanted to make it a little more realistic in that in some arguments, both parties could be wrong, just in different ways...Also, I _love_ the "opposites attract" theory! It's one of my favorites! ;D

As always, enjoy!

* * *

Judging from their late-night encounter, Lexia knew she had been correct on all her assumptions about Zmeya's unannounced visit. Unfortunately, she felt no pleasure at the victory, only an even more seething hatred for her former lover.

Surprisingly, it had been her demonic counterpart that had best understood the dynamic of Zmeya and Lexia's relationship. After all, who better than a being who resided alone in a volcano for centuries at a time to understand the (sometimes twisted and convoluted) relationship between two souls so lonely as Zmeya and Lexia. They had been drawn together by how alone they each were in their worlds. Even though Zmeya's emotional isolation had been by choice, Lexia had been taught the hard way to never let anyone close enough for them to be used against her as a weapon.

After sending Vesuvia's volcano out of dormancy, she resided there for a while, learning all she could from Orinda how to control her power. Her father had finally decided he'd had enough embarrassment from her and eventually tracked her to the mountain. While his retainers cowered in the face of her new power, her father, a tall, brutish man, had the gall to demand that she return home and marry the man he had picked for her. She refused.

That was when Sofiya finally was made useful to Lexia's father as his trump card. Knowing that his daughter cared about her maid more than anything, he threatened to end Sofiya's life if Lexia did not cooperate. Orinda, of course, had urged her to simply kill them all and 'just be done with it', but Lexia knew what the long term consequences would be. At the very least, Palladon would be thrown into chaos when its current, widowed ruler and the only surviving heir to the throne did not return home. Even if Lexia hadn't cared about the kingdom itself, killing the tracking party would only guarantee more interference from people, this time coming to kill her instead of taking her back to Palladon.

So Lexia consented, and she was all but taken back to her homeland in shackles. Sofiya regretted that things had gone the way they had, and apologized profusely for ruining Lexia's 'chance at true freedom'. Lexia never blamed her, though. Her deranged father was to blame.

Once back in Palladon, her father wasted no time in trying to force Lexia to cultivate her power into a lethal weapon of war, one he would be able to command at will, a battle dog he could send forth and call back as he pleased. Even though Orinda would have been more than happy to once again live an existence entailing constant bloodshed, she and Lexia shared a rare moment of agreement when they were dead-set against being anyone's lapdog.

Of course, that led to her father finally getting fed up with her resistance and one day, decided to fetch the 'one person that will make you fight like you mean it'. Sofiya was once again threatened, and it was then Lexia realized that, even though none of it was Sofiya's fault, the girl would never truly be safe until she was far away and out of Lexia's life forever. Sofiya was sent away, in the dead of night, and Lexia never saw her again.

From then on, she supposed one could say she became her father's battle dog, but on her own terms. He chose who she was fighting, and she would choose the where, when and how to dispose of the enemy. It was a monotonous existence that went on for so long she forgot what she was missing in life because it had been so long since she had even a glimmer of happiness.

Zmeya had come into the picture after her father had remarried. Her stepsister, Catherine, had also been an only child, and she had been such a sweet girl, that if Lexia had remembered how to be caring for anyone, it would have been her. Zmeya had been a duchess, married to a foreign dignitary, and sought to increase her power and influence in Palladon. Like her first meeting with Elsa, Zmeya at first displayed nothing but a warm, accommodating persona that had everyone, even Lexia, fooled.

Despite Zmeya's charming demeanor, Lexia had not been inclined to like or dislike much of anybody since Sofiya's departure years ago, and later learned that Zmeya's true nature was something similar. So it was no surprise that, when the two of them eventually started being physically intimate, neither had any particular attachment to the other.

Or so Lexia had thought.

* * *

"She was nothing but polite and accommodating. I have no idea what you were getting so worked up over."

Lexia hadn't started to see red in the conversation... _yet_. But Elsa was just not seeing reason.

"You have absolutely no reason to go to the capital of Palladon." Lexia said. "She can't _force_ you to go."

"And what about peace negotiations?"

"Has she given you any indication what she wanted was war?" She sighed. "You said it yourself; there's nothing she could gain from conquering Arendelle."

"I can't afford to risk offending her. She's one of the most powerful rulers in the world."

"I don't need you to tell me that."

Elsa couldn't figure out why Lexia was so on-edge. Zmeya really had been nothing but cordial and friendly...And the Empress hadn't acknowledged the captain at all during her visit. In fact, there had been no evidence whatsoever that they had known each other in the past. Elsa had thought she'd be relieved when Zmeya left, at least Lexia would relax once the Empress had left to return home.

Needless to say, Lexia had not relaxed. If anything, she seemed even more paranoid of a sinister plot against Arendelle concocted by the Empress of Palladon.

"You're not going to change my mind, Captain..." Elsa searched Lexia's golden gaze. "You know that."

Lexia hated to admit it, but it looked like Zmeya was going to be closer to the mark than she ever imagined. Elsa really _was_ going to regret not listening to the commander of her guard...She was going to make _everyone_ in Arendelle regret she hadn't listened.

"I'm not going to risk war because of your conspiracy theory, Lexia." Elsa said in an uncharacteristic display of arrogance. "All of the soldiers that you've worked so hard to train would be going to their deaths if we went to war with Palladon."

"So be it, then."

Elsa gasped softly.

"How can you..." She made a frustrated gesture with her hands, signaling she was just about at the end of her rope with her captain.

Lexia stared hard at Elsa, trying to come up with some way to make her see that, just like any of the soldiers she'd trained for the queen, she would die for the woman. They would be walking to their deaths, but they would do it willingly, because that is what a soldier did for their monarch.

Lexia just never thought that her train of thought would be cut short by such a small, but nonetheless damaging comment as what Elsa said next.

"-be so...so heartless?" Elsa's voice took on an almost pleading undertone.

It was like being murdered with a sewing needle. The weapon was small, seeming to be relatively harmless, but with the right amount of precision and force behind it, it could be turned into as lethal a weapon as any axe or sword.

To most, the comment would have meant less. They might have seen the comment for what it was, an attempt to convey the frustration the queen had to be feeling at her captain's obstinate nature.

But not to Lexia.

Being the host of a truly merciless and cruel being, it was a sore spot for her to ever be accused of a heartless nature...

 _And after all the trouble you go to, to even be considered remotely *human*, just like anyone else._ Orinda clucked her tongue.

Elsa knew immediately that she'd said the wrong thing. The fire user's face shut closed as firmly as the gates to her palace years ago, after accidentally getting Anna in the head with her magic. She could tell there would be no going back from that comment, and though she felt appropriate guilt for her words, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Lexia that would make her so vulnerable to a scathing comment about the heart.

Finally, the captain spoke. "If you wish to go to Asuria, fine." Lexia straightened, making an effort to keep her expression neutral, which wasn't something she had to do often. "I am nothing if not loyal, despite what you think."

Elsa had said nothing about disloyalty, but her guilt for letting her temper run away with her kept her silent.

"I shall escort you to the capital...But consider that my resignation." Lexia turned and strode to the door. "I won't stay somewhere my opinion is brushed off as if it meant nothing. As your captain, I'm aware I have no right to try to counsel you on the best course of action...But as your friend..." She almost choked on the word, and she shook her head as she turned fully back to the queen one last time, bowing as she did. "I would have hoped you had come to trust me more than that."

Elsa, who had stayed silent through Lexia's words, finally regained her ability to speak only after hearing her study door shut with a _click!_ Sinking into her office chair with a heavy sigh, she ran a shaky hand through her hair, all the while hearing a single thought echo through her mind over and over.

 _What have I done?_


	16. Forever to Repair

Hi guys! Sorry this is a day late ^^;; thought I posted yesterday and when I looked again, I saw I hadn't whoops! lol I'm so glad everyone seems to be enjoying so far, only a few chapters left! I gotta tell ya, I'm gonna be sad when I post the last chapter on my "baby" T^T I'll have to post something new, then!

Anon: I really do want to write more of Elsa's sassy side...I actually may write a short sequel detailing Elsa and Lexia's..."coming together" xDD Let me know if that's something you'd be into seeing haha

Cheezus: God I literally could not breathe after your review xDD lol And here's to hoping life doesn't decide to suddenly punch ALL of us in the gut! *cheers!*

Don't forget to review ;D

* * *

Anna and Kristoff stood awkwardly beside Elsa as they watched the final preparations being made for the journey to the capital of Palladon. Captain Lexia stood several paces behind them, with a certain uncharacteristic stiffness to her posture and demeanor that hadn't departed since the Empress of Palladon set foot in Arendelle. Of course, only the astute that paid attention to the blossoming affection between the captain and her queen would notice such a subtle change in the two.

The sole remaining Princess of Arendelle looked back and forth between the two and decided she while she was probably one of the few who had noticed the growing bond between Lexia and Elsa, she was certainly not the only one that felt a chill in the air, and it had nothing to do with Elsa's mood.

Anna discreetly took one of Elsa's hands in her own, garnering the attention of the monarch.

"Whatever it was..." She said. "It's not enough to break the bond you two have."

Anna didn't need to elaborate on what " _it_ " was. Lexia had been in such a foul mood lately, even _she_ had been persuaded by Kristoff to at least _try_ to gain a sense of self-preservation, for his sake. It didn't take more than one scathing glare from the other woman to have the reckless redhead seriously considering Kristoff's advice...much to his surprise.

The princess internally shrugged. What could she say? The woman was _scary_ when she was angry...And Anna didn't fear much.

Elsa scoffed. "What _bond,_ Anna? She won't even tell me what had her so bothered about Zmeya's visit..." Eyes downcast, Elsa sighed. "It's as if we took one step forward, and two steps back."

Anna's eyes softened. "Elsa, you have to be persistent. Just because something doesn't work the first time, doesn't mean it never will!"

The comment was shortly followed by an eye-roll by Kristoff, which was then rewarded with a swift smack in the arm by his girlfriend.

Turning back to her sister, Anna continued. "All I'm saying is don't give up so easily...She might be hurting as much as you under that stoic mask."

Elsa winced. "I have no doubt...I said something terrible, Anna."

"Then apologize."

If only it were that easy. Elsa had every intention of apologizing the moment she woke up the morning after their argument, with a sore neck and itchy eyes from crying herself to sleep in her study.

But every time she tried to approach the captain, Lexia always just _happened_ to be leaving the vicinity at that moment.

It was uncanny. It was like Lexia _knew_ when she was coming...

Shaking her head, she looked sorrowfully at Anna and allowed herself to be pulled into an embrace as a guard appeared bearing her horse.

Anna rubbed her back comfortingly and whispered in her ear, "Everything'll work out fine, Elsa, you'll see."

Elsa certainly hoped so, but it didn't look like Lexia would be talking to her anytime soon, not of her own volition, anyway.

Lexia stepped forward and took the reins of Elsa's horse from the guard and motioned for him to step back. As she stood with the horse, Elsa tried to meet her gaze as she prepared to mount the horse.

Nothing. Not even a flicker of eye movement her way.

Elsa's heart sank. Looks like making things right again wouldn't be as easy as a simple "I'm sorry".

* * *

Lexia forced herself to ignore the stares and sad, regretful expressions Elsa kept throwing her way. The last few days without interacting with Elsa had been torture, but that was nothing compared to her anger over the fact that she actually _cared_.

If she was being honest, it wasn't so much what Elsa had said. It was _who_ had said it, and the fact that it had been the woman she had fallen in love with made the comment -

Lexia physically froze, in the middle of walking to her own horse. A few of the soldiers that noticed gave her strange looks briefly, but then returned to what they were doing.

" _In love with-"_

Of course Lexia was practical enough to realize what was happening without actually having to put a name to it. But that was exactly why she had to leave. Loving Elsa, hell, feeling anything for her at all would be putting her in danger.

 _As if that particular point wasn't moot already._

Lexia had to agree. That Zmeya had come here in the first place wasn't a direct result of Lexia's feelings for Elsa, but the fact that the queen and a handful of her guards were now journeying leagues away to a city that more than likely had a trap waiting for them...that was.

She could only hope that she could make the announcement that she was indeed leaving Arendelle as public as possible, and in front of Zmeya, if possible. That way, when she left, hopefully Zmeya would go back to chasing her, and Elsa would be left out of it. Lexia would never again be able to safely return to Arendelle, but at least the people and their queen would be spared from her murderous ex-lover.

That thought alone was what gave the former _Komandir_ of the Palladonian army the strength to mount her horse and fix her gaze on the road ahead.


	17. Nothing Further from the Truth

Hey guys! Hope everyone had a good weekend! I have to admit that I _did_ have a decent idea for a sequel, but let me know if you guys would be interested in hearing it? I know Anon is already on board xD I would need to do some _serious_ research for it first, but hey, if I know people are going to look forward to reading and enjoying it...I might just get on board with that ;DD So let me know what you think in the reviews!

And ooooh you guys are gonna LOVE this one xD and hate me too, but we'll worry about that later!

Have fun ;DD

* * *

Days passed, and eventually the party reached a coastal city from which they would be taking a ship from to reach party picked an inn to stay the night in and they were greeted inside by the innkeeper and her daughter.

"Welcome! My daughter Helena will see to your comfort this evening."

Elsa gave a polite smile to the village girl, who was subtling leering at the queen, but since Elsa had eyes only for a certain captain, she never noticed the other's interest.

Everyone settled in for the nighttime meal, and then went their separate ways for the night, save for a few soldiers that were elected to guard Elsa in the meantime. Subtlety was key, as the queen didn't want to be drawing any unnecessary attention to herself.

As twilight fell over the city, the Snow Queen became more and more agitated as the night went on. Now in a stationary environment, there was now little to distract the blonde from her troubling thoughts, save for the cracks in the ceiling and the boisterous citizens getting in drunken fistfights downstairs.

Eventually, the queen became so bored that at the latest _smash!_ that echoed through the upstairs hallway of the inn, she finally stood from her desk and sought out Lexia. She couldn't wait and allow the woman to avoid her any longer.

Lexia was downstairs having a rare drink to attempt to clear her own roiling thoughts and emotions. Unfortunately, having a fire demon's stamina, partnered with the fact that drinking games were quite commonplace in Palladon, meant that the woman would be sadly hard-pressed to get any sort of relief from the alcohol alone.

She didn't look up as she felt Elsa's heat signature drawing nearer.

Not like she had planned on getting drunk anyway, she thought as she downed the rest of her drink.

Elsa didn't hesitate to approach her, unlike the timid pursuits she'd attempted back in Arendelle.

"You can't avoid me forever. What _are_ you so afraid of?"

The accusation came from nowhere. Lexia had thought that the first thing the queen would say was that she was sorry for what she'd said.

"Avoiding?" Lexia drawled, setting her mug on the counter and standing. "I was under the impression that we simply had nothing to talk about besides business matters." She bowed her head out of formality. "If you'll excuse me."

Elsa grabbed her arm and she turned away, making the other woman nearly jump at the uncharacteristic show of assertiveness from her usually docile queen.

Realizing that there really wouldn't be any avoiding this conversation, Lexia simply took Elsa's wrist and tugged her outside, away from anywhere their conflict might be overheard. They ended up in a back alley after Lexia had dismissed the guards to stay inside.

Turning from doing a quick up-and-down scan of the alleyway to assure their safety, Lexia now looked Elsa in the eyes. "Now, what is it?"

"Why are you being so difficult about this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play that game with me," Elsa said. "I realize that I hurt your feelings with what I said, and I would've apologized sooner, if you'd given me the opportunity."

Lexia sighed, raking a hand through her hair.

"It wasn't...what you said." She answered frustratedly.

Elsa seemed to relax somewhat, but the tension in her posture didn't disappear completely.

The captain looked back to the queen. "It truly wasn't. It was just what made me realize how much I had to-" She corrected. " _Have_ to leave, that's all."

"You were serious, then?"

"I'm not in the habit of making empty promises."

"But I don't-" Elsa shook her head. She didn't want her to leave!

But the words here lodged in her throat, which had become almost painfully tight since the conversation had started.

Lexia continued. "You shouldn't trouble yourself over what you said. You were perfectly justified, and if I was upset at all, it was because of how close to the truth you were."

Elsa didn't believe that for a second, but listened as the fire magic user went on.

"So don't worry about it anymore; focus on keeping peaceful ties with Palladon. Soon enough, you'll be home and I will be a distant memory to the rest of Arendelle." _And to you_ , she chose not to add.

Before Elsa could get out a decent response, the captain turned on her heel and was gone just as Elsa finally strung her words together, whispering her words to the wind, as she'd so often been doing lately.

"-And what if I don't want you to be a _memory_?"

* * *

Elsa didn't particularly like ordering people around. But since her composure and patience were hanging on by a mere thread, she made an exception and ordered (she was forced to _order_ , since the bodyguards simply would not take the hint and leave her the hell alone) the guards to make themselves scarce for the night.

Apparently, they feared incurring Lexia's wrath if anything untoward happened to the queen if they left her unattended than they desired to please said queen by heeding her request, as they merely gave her more space than usual, but didn't leave completely.

This, of course, only made Elsa's mood darken more than it already was, and she brooded (something she couldn't ever remember doing in her life) on the balcony on the second floor of the inn. It was late, and it seemed like the majority of the rest of the guests had turned in for the night.

"What's got you looking so depressed?" A voice said from behind her.

Elsa didn't recognize the voice, but turning around, she recognized its owner.

Helena, the innkeeper's daughter, stepped out on the balcony and gestured to the seat beside Elsa.

"May I?"

Elsa wasn't really in the mood for company, but the girl's energy reminded her of her sister, whom she'd give anything to have with her at this very moment. So she motioned that the girl have a seat if she wanted.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?"

When Elsa did nothing more than nod politely in response, Helena took a more straightforward approach.

"I hope I'm not prying, but I'm here to listen if you want to talk about what's bothering you."

Elsa tried not to give her a look that said "Why would I be talking about my emotions with a complete stranger?"

She realized she'd failed miserably when the girl laughed and said,

"Sometimes what people need is the opinion of someone unbiased to help them work through their thoughts."

The queen certainly couldn't argue with that, so she ended up telling much of the story to Helena (who was a surprisingly good conversationalist, unlike the usually quiet Lexia). She left out the part of her being a monarch for obvious reasons, and that they were on their way for peace-talks with another country. For all Helena knew, Elsa was an ordinary woman.

"I said something awful...I don't know if she'll ever forgive me."

"And what exactly is your relationship with this woman?" Helena had gotten a feeling about Elsa from the first moment she saw her...or maybe it had been wishful thinking. Either way, she figured it couldn't hurt to help Elsa realize her feelings if she could.

Elsa blushed. "I-" She cleared her throat. "She's a friend, what else?"

Helena smirked. _So it_ _ **was**_ _that way._ She thought.

"That isn't the _only_ feeling that can be between two women, you know." Helena said, subtly moving a bit closer as she spoke.

Elsa blinked, not really sure what the other woman was getting at, so she switched topics.

"But I can't just think about myself; I have others to put first."

"Others? Are you the matriarch of your family, by chance?" Helena said, half-joking.

Elsa laughed a bit. "Of sorts. I have to keep my family safe, whatever the cost." It wasn't a complete untruth, after all. "But she's convinced that where we're going is somehow dangerous...That it's some kind of trap that will put me in harm's way."

"Has she given you any proof that this is the case?"

"None at all." Elsa put her head in her hands. "And she refuses to talk to me about it!"

Helena sat back, looking now over the balcony edge to the moonlit ground below.

"Sounds like a lack of trust on both sides."

"Lack of trust?" Elsa asked. "I'd trust her with my life!"

Helena chuckled. "Apparently not enough to take her advice without her having to prove there's any _real_ danger to you..." She hummed, leaning on her elbows more as she continued. "But to be fair, she doesn't seem to trust you much either."

Though her words did have more than a bit of truth to them, that didn't stop them from stinging like salt in a fresh wound for Elsa.

"What makes you say that?"

"If she doesn't trust you enough to tell you the real reason behind her behavior, maybe she fears your reaction when you find out the truth."

"Which is?"

"How would I know?" She laughed, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "Honestly? With your personality and looks, she might have fallen in love with you, for all you know." She gave a playful wink at the end of her statement. She was taking a gamble by bringing the often-taboo topic of a love between two women into the conversation, but she couldn't help it.

The blonde turned a flattering shade of red, but with her complexion, it wouldn't take much embarrassment to turn her into a living tomato.

"S-She's not in love with me!"

 _Was she?_

"Well maybe, maybe not..." Helena grinned. "But you love _her._ "

This time, Elsa shot from her seat and nearly tripped over her chair in her haste to get away from...she wasn't really sure what.

Helena stood as well, smoothly moving closer to Elsa and placed a tentative hand on Elsa's cheek.

"Want to test it?"

Elsa was again at a loss for how exactly they could do that. As she tried and failed to make sense of it, she was struck from her thoughts by a pair of warm, soft lips pressing against her own.

The queen started, but didn't pull away as she let Helena set the pace, currently swept away in a whirlwind of confused emotions.

Not that Elsa had much experience with kissing, but she had to admit Helena was certainly skilled, noting the way her lips moved smoothly and confidently over hers, guiding and coaxing Elsa's into a positive reaction.

Elsa, for her part, was still frozen with no idea what to do as she allowed the village girl to continue kissing her. The questioning tongue that then licked at her lips, asking for entrance, was what finally gave Elsa pause.

Pulling back and putting slight pressure on the other woman's shoulders ended the kiss immediately.

Helena smirked, looking only slightly disappointed and surprisingly smug, as if she knew something Elsa didn't. "Nothing, right?"

Elsa started to protest,

"It wasn't that it wasn't nice, I just-"

Helena stopped Elsa's words with a gentle finger over her lips as she stepped away.

The innkeeper's daughter danced gracefully back to the entrance to the balcony, looking back at Elsa as she stood at the door.

"Think about why that is, Elsa." "You might just discover a side to yourself that you never even knew existed."

With a wink and a smile, she was gone, leaving Elsa alone with her thoughts.

It wasn't another five minutes later that saw Elsa quickly walking for the stables, where she had a hunch her head bodyguard would be.

As upset as she was with Lexia, Helena's advances (and more importantly, her own reaction to them) had made her realize two things:

First, there would be no rest for her until she found a way to keep Lexia at her side of her own free will.

And the second...

Elsa stopped at the top of the stairs, looking in the direction of the floor below but not really seeing anything.

It most certainly was not Helena she wanted kissing her.

* * *

Lexia thought about hiding or doing some other action equally as childish as she felt Elsa coming. She seemed incensed about something, if her higher-than-normal temperature was any indication.

She tried to block the image of the two kissing women from her mind, but brushing her horse was not helping the calming process at all. She had dismissed the guards around Elsa for the moment, intending to talk to her about the next day's plans, although she would have preferred to have as little contact with Elsa on the journey as possible.

What she hadn't counted on was the village girl making a move on the most powerful known magic-user within leagues of Arendelle. Even more unexpected was the complete lack of negative reaction from the blonde. She didn't seem to hate the advances of the girl, but Lexia didn't bother to stick around to see who escalated the kiss first.

"Lexia." It wasn't a question, and the captain turned around to find the queen with a determined look set upon her face.

"Your Majesty." Lexia bowed her head.

"Elsa." The blonde said in a low whisper as she stepped forward. "Please."

Lexia resisted the urge to match Elsa's steps, only backwards, but with the horse directly behind her, there was nowhere to go.

Finally, she lost her patience and snapped.

"Elsa, what do you want?"

Elsa didn't hesitate.

"You."

She rapidly closed the distance between the two of them, reached up to cup Lexia's face and laid her lips almost desperately upon Lexia's.

Elsa immediately felt Lexia's body stiffen as she remained unresponsive to Elsa's kiss.

The kiss lasted for several more seconds, and Lexia couldn't help but be drawn in by the raw emotions that were be conveyed through the kiss; fear, frustration, desperation, love...

It was disturbing to think that the last one unnerved her more than any of the others.

She grasped Elsa's shoulders and forced her away so she could meet her eyes.

Lexia had to stop herself from pulling Elsa right back in when she saw tears glistening in the queen's eyes.

Elsa's voice wobbled as she spoke. "I just want you. Please."

Lexia didn't even have the heart to snap at Elsa about the fact that not ten minutes ago she had been kissing a near-stranger and had seemed perfectly fine with it.

The thought of Helena and Elsa's embrace earlier that night was like a bucket of ice water being dumped on her.

"You don't know what you're asking." Lexia hoped she was keeping her chaotic emotions properly veiled as she stepped back. "This is a bad idea."

Putting some distance between them was difficult, considering all she wanted to do was grab the queen and show her exactly _why_ this was such a bad idea.

"Go back to your room and sleep, Queen Elsa." As she spoke, Lexia turned away and tried to make it look like she would actually return to grooming her horse the moment Elsa left. "We still have a ways to go before we reach Palladon."

Had she only looked at Elsa again, she would have seen the tears glistening on Elsa's cheekbones where they steadily trickled their way down to coat their maker's neck. Her heart plummeted at the thought that she had misread every interaction with Lexia since she had arrived in Arendelle. Her heart sank even lower to think of what a desperate fool she must have made herself out to be.

Lexia felt the temperature drop, signalling Elsa's already blatantly obvious disappointment, and then felt Elsa's heat signature move away swiftly, as if she couldn't stand to be in Lexia's presence a moment longer.

Only once she was sure Elsa was no longer anywhere near the stables did she allow herself to fall forward to lean her weight somberly on her mount, her forehead against the massive side that steadily moved up and down, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Lexia certainly didn't blame Elsa for being upset, or for running away for that matter.

Whatever treatment Elsa saw fit to bestow upon her now, Lexia had no doubt she deserved every bit of what she got.

* * *

The next few days, no matter what the task seemed to be, time just dragged for Lexia. Within a day of being at the inn, the group from Arendelle was on a ship that was headed directly for Asuria.

The act of distancing herself from Elsa was by no means impeded by the Snow Queen herself. Elsa and Lexia fell into a routine of avoiding each other while on the voyage, but there was only so much space on the boat. Every time they ran into each other, sometimes quite literally, the situation would be awkward and cold. Lexia had no doubts that everyone in the room had felt the telltale temperature drop that accompanied the times Elsa was forced to interact with the captain at all. Frankly, Lexia was surprised the woman had enough control at least to not make it snow after even laying eyes on Lexia.

Not that she was doing much of that anyway.

Lexia could only hope that she was making the right decision by Elsa. Both by not confronting the problem and by disappearing as soon as Elsa was safe and sound back in Arendelle and Lexia had made it abundantly clear to Zmeya that Elsa meant nothing to her.

Even though nothing could be farther from the truth.


	18. Something to Protect

Woo-hoo! I won't jabber on too much this time, lol I know you all are anxious to get to the story-telling! I won't keep you, hope you all enjoy!

Anon: I actually have not thought of a ship name for them but if you think of one, please be sure to let me know! :D Contrary to what you guys may think sometimes, I am really not that creative when it comes to things like that xD

Cheezus: Oh my dear, any review always makes my day, but not every review makes me start randomly laughing in the middle of work...my coworkers gave me a O.O look when I did that xD

Here we go~!

* * *

Lexia's stomach twisted into knot after knot as the guard walked beside the carriage in which Elsa rode. Lexia and the other high-ranking officers sat atop their horses, looking vaguely uncomfortable at the tense atmosphere that still surrounded their queen and captain. If nothing else, though, she knew they were certainly glad to be done with their long voyage that had been tinged with sadness and regret the whole way.

They eventually reached the palace and Lexia tried not to do too much reminiscing and allow the past to hinder her awareness of the present. The group walked through the gates and were welcomed with open arms by Zmeya and her attendants. This time, however, the woman _did_ send a dangerous leer Lexia's way as she looked over Elsa's shoulder as they greeted each other. The thought that the woman had become so confident that Lexia wouldn't simply lose her temper and wring her neck right then and there.

As they walked into the palace, she beckoned to Loren, who looked about as uncomfortable with the situation as she was, and said,

"I need a favor."

With that, her second-in-command was sent off on her errand. In the meantime, through all of the boring political talk about peacekeeping between Palladon and Arendelle, Lexia remained vigilant and knew it wouldn't be long before Zmeya would make her move.

Thankfully, if a fight broke out and she was forced to subdue Zmeya, she still had one more ace up her sleeve, even if Loren didn't find what she'd sent him for.

She just hoped said ace would arrive sooner rather than later.

* * *

It had been decidedly peaceful all day, though Lexia knew Zmeya too well to be fooled. Lexia was simply waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The first day of the Arendellian's visit had almost drawn to a close, with both rulers and a few of their guards accompanying each of them taking on the lawn outside the palace as the sun slowly set in the west.

The tea had just been poured when Lexia felt a slight touch on her arm, signaling Loren's return.

His whispered words in her ear had her shooting forward to grab her queen's saucer out of her hand.

"Captain!" Elsa gasped. "What has gotten into you?"

"My apologies, Queen Elsa," Lexia stared hard at the teacup now in her grasp. "But the tea is poisoned."

"Absurd!" Zmeya scoffed. "To even suggest such a thing; Queen Elsa, your Captain needs to be kept on a shorter leash!"

"Then you wouldn't mind drinking my queen's tea yourself, if you're so confident it hasn't been tampered with." Lexia baited.

Her guards stepped in."Are you threatening the Empress?"

"Not at all." Lexia thought about pressing her original angle to prove her accusations were not baseless...But she had a better idea.

"Alright." Lexia withheld her smirk, slowly raising the cup to her own lips. "Then you won't mind if I test it myself?"

The slight widening of Zmeya's eyes was a clear indication that she had not expected this turn of events.

All eyes were on her, and the expressions of the onlookers varied from wary, to disbelieving, to frightened. Interestingly enough, Zmeya had the latter two of the three emotions shown on her face. Lexia wouldn't have expected her to be so open about her feelings.

Lexia raised an eyebrow slightly, and steadily closed the distance between her lips and the cup. Her lips touched the rim and she made a motion to tilt the cup back...

"Enough!"

* * *

Elsa wasn't sure what baffled her more: the fact that the Empress had allowed herself to be baited into a game of chicken with a stranger (or so Elsa had thought), or the idea that the tea actually _had_ been poisoned, forcing the Empress' hand.

Why would the Empress care if Lexia died, even if it meant proving herself guilty?

Several conclusions came immediately to Elsa's mind. Firstly, Zmeya and Lexia _did_ know each other, and they had apparently been quite close if the Empress was even willing to lose face if it meant saving Lexia's life.

The second made the queen's heart plummet even further.

Lexia had not only been right about Zmeya's intentions; she had been willing to give her life to prove it.

Seconds after Zmeya's outburst, the Empress stood, palms still laid flat on the table where she had slammed them down as she spoke. Outwardly, she seemed calm and collected, but Elsa was no stranger to having an invisible storm brewing within herself.

Finally, the Empress turned to Elsa. "You and your guard are free to leave now, Queen Elsa."

Elsa didn't know what to think. Had she done something to offend the other woman? She felt as if she should at least say _something_ about the fact that the Empress had just tried to have her killed.

The Snow Queen opened her mouth to give a scathing remark that was Anna-like in its reckless-but-honest manner when she felt a hand on her elbow tugging her away and in the direction of the main gates.

It was no surprise that Elsa turned mid-stride to find Lexia pulling her away from the patio and across the lawn. She wasn't looking at Elsa, but rather keeping an eye on the Empress, who hadn't moved a muscle since seemingly dismissing Elsa and her party.

"That's it?" Elsa asked, affronted. "We're just going to let her get away with trying to kill me?"

"Please." Lexia scoffed. "If I had my way, we'd still be in Arendelle and far away from this mess. So unless you'd like to ignore my advice _again_ , I suggest you get moving."

That last comment gave Elsa pause. It was true that Lexia had been right, about everything, and Elsa had assumed that Lexia was being worried for no reason.

Now she knew better.

* * *

"Empress?"

Zmeya stood still, almost too still, like a cobra waiting for just the right moment to strike. She hated that the former princess had baited her into giving her plan away, but what choice did she have? Lexia _belonged_ to her. And she didn't like it when her things disappeared.

Before they'd outlived their usefulness, that is.

She didn't turn, but her guard heard her all the same as she uttered the order that, no matter how they personally felt about her or Lexia, they would obey, or die trying.

"Kill them. All of them."

After all, that's what Lexia herself had trained them to do; obey an order without question.

And if she couldn't have that woman, then no one would.

* * *

Lexia had to will herself not to sprint for the gates with Elsa in tow. She knew Zmeya better than anyone.

And there wasn't a doubt in her mind that the Empress had just ordered their demise.

Because was it not the nature of a snake to want to watch their prey squirm in fear before they killed it?

Sure enough, not moments later, a battle horn sounded, one of the horns Lexia herself had once ordered played to alert the troops of the call to battle.

It was a confirmation of Zmeya's wish for their heads.

"Run!"

They took off for the gates, but didn't make it there fast enough to make it through before they were closed to cut off their escape.

 _Guess there's no choice._

Without a second thought, she pushed Elsa into the safety of a ring of her guards and summoned her magic in full-force, firing at the gate.

The troops from Arendelle, while understandably shocked that yet another woman that inhabited their kingdom had elemental magic, did well in recovering from their surprise and formed their ranks around their queen, as they'd trained to do.

The Palladonian soldiers, however, did not snap out of their stupefied state so quickly and only registered that their targets had made it through the destroyed gates moments too late, and started to give chase.

Sensing the Palladonians gaining on them, Lexia realized that there was no way their party would outrun their pursuers all the way to the harbor.

She would have to buy them the time to get there.

"Take her and go!" She ordered Loren, who looked perplexed at first, but nodded in compliance and pulled Elsa in the direction of the harbor.

"No!" Elsa cried in protest. "I'm not leaving you!"

"Don't be stupid, Elsa, this is serious." Lexia didn't turn around from here she stood. "Even with your magic, you're too valuable to Arendelle to risk fighting here."

"But-"

"Go." This time, Lexia did turn around, and Elsa was surprised to see a slightly softer look in her eyes. "Don't make Anna lose another person she cares about."

It was a dirty trick, using Elsa's love for her sister to get her to leave, Lexia knew, but she would do anything to make sure Elsa was safe, even if that meant manipulating the queen's emotions.

Elsa knew what Lexia was playing at, but she couldn't argue with her point either.

"Just..." Her shoulders sagged in defeat as she sighed. "Be careful. Please."

Lexia only nodded before telling them once more to go.

As Elsa turned to follow her guard, she felt a flare of heat at her back, making her turn her head as she ran, only to see a massive wall of fire spring up from nowhere, putting Elsa on one side, and Lexia on the other.

It was strange, but Elsa had never felt as far away from Lexia as she did at that moment.

* * *

Lexia knew the barrier of orange flame behind her was a bit extravagant, but she figured that the pause that it would give at least a few of the soldiers that were now flying at her at a breakneck pace might just be enough to level the playing field a bit.

Gods knew, she would need all the help she could get, as badly outnumbered as she was.

She met the force head-on, weaving in and out of swords, spears and axes alike, using her magic to the fullest extent she had since she had commanded this very army years ago. Using Orinda's power was the most natural thing in the world for her. While on that gods-forsaken volcano, Lexia had quickly learned that there weren't many limits to Orinda's great power. The former princess had even made a game out of seeing how many weapons she could utilize using the fire magic that was always flowing from her fingertips.

Lexia smirked as she called forth one of her personal favorites, a bright-orange, thin stripe of magic that was whip-like in its flexibility. Snapping her wrist back and forth around her with the grace of a dancer, she knocked men to the ground as if they were rag dolls by the dozen. While she was not necessarily aiming to kill, she wasn't above ending a few lives to make certain that Elsa made it to the safety of the ship.

Years ago, when she'd commanded her father's army, she hadn't had any qualms about who to kill and not kill. Back then, she'd just been doing what she did best: causing destruction and chaos.

But now, things were different.

Now, she had something that she actually _wanted_ to protect, and she'd be damned if she gave it up without a fight.

* * *

The battle had gone on for an hour at most, but with the intensity of the battle, it felt more like days to both Lexia and her adversaries.

Lexia knew this area well, she had spent a fair amount of time here when she had been tasked with protecting the capital in particular.

Which was how she knew exactly where the cliffs on the outskirts of the city were.

The alternation between running, turning, fighting a fews dozen soldiers, and then running again were starting to take their toll, even to someone whose body had been trained time and time again for battle.

Finally, she made it to the cliffs and debated blowing up the entire cliffside to take the rest of the Palladonian forces with her into the ocean but quickly discarded the thought. Zmeya had made it a point to kill anyone and everyone that had shown loyalty to Lexia in the face of her being framed for her father's murder. Which meant none of these soldiers were any that she'd had close ties with; they were just doing as was required of a Palladonian soldier.

As she finished off another handful of soldiers, she couldn't help but think that this situation looked vaguely familiar, with her back against a metaphorical wall, surrounded by her former countrymen and being looked down on by her former lover.

Okay, so the last one wasn't quite true, but she realized it soon would be as she felt Zmeya's heat signature growing closer and closer. She was moving too fast for her to be on foot, so she must be on horseback and had come to see her former "pet" meet her end.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the Empress herself arrived and called the battle to a standstill by raising a hand to have one of her personal guards sound the signal for the soldiers to halt their movements.

The ebony-haired woman that had nearly killed her queen sat quite calmly on her steed, wearing a smug smirk that made Lexia's blood boil. To think, if Loren hadn't arrived when he had, even Lexia, with all her power, wouldn't have been able to save the love of her life.

That thought alone was enough to make her snap and lose her trademark cool.

The next thing she knew, she was flying forward with her sword raised. Zmeya, with no time or training to react, ended up off her horse and on the ground, with the tip of Lexia's sword inches from her throat.

* * *

"Tell them to drop their weapons." Lexia's tone was hard and bore no room for argument. " _Now._ "

Zmeya's gaze flickered to her guard and back, resembling a caged animal in her mannerisms as she searched for a way to escape her precarious situation. Eventually, she slowly raised a hand to signal her surrender. The expressions of the soldiers varied from simply resigned to very relieved that they wouldn't have to combat their demon of a former princess anymore.

Lexia's hair was brushed away softly by the wind, and she felt no satisfaction at this victory, but she knew killing Zmeya wouldn't be any better. If she killed her ex-lover now, there would be no running for her. Regardless of the soldiers' personal feelings, they would be obligated to track Lexia down and try her for treason, even though she was technically exiled. And, since she now had affiliations with Arendelle, regardless of Elsa's actual involvement or lackthereof, Elsa could be implicated as well.

A familiar voice startled her out of her thoughts. "My, my, you've certainly made a mess, haven't you?"

A graceful, lithe form stepped calmly into the clearing, shooting a bright smile at Lexia that she was hard-pressed not to immediately return in full.

"Catherine."

"Sister." Catherine shot a barely-concealed look of disdain Zmeya's way before settling her gaze on Lexia. "I received your message. Needless to say I was appalled at the happenings here while I was away!"

"Yes...too bad you missed the funeral. School must have been brutally busy for you not to have already heard from someone else."

She hummed her response, her smile never wavering, as she walked closer. "From what I heard, your would-be ascension to the throne wasn't a walk in the park either."

 _Someone must have filled her in on my banishment...or she was smart enough to piece it together without help._

It was a well-known fact that Catherine, while sweet-natured, had never gotten along with her mother, and while she never would have resorted to killing her, Catherine wouldn't lose any sleep over her mother's death.

"When I heard you were in Arendelle...and stayed, I have to say I was surprised." Her eyes grew shrewd, reminding Lexia why she always thought her step-sister would be a better choice to be Empress, rather than her.

Besides, there were things she would rather be doing than talking politics and signing papers all day.

At the thought, she turned to see the ship that the Arendellians had arrived on sailing slowly past. Lexia could make out the forms of the soldiers and Elsa standing at the rail of the ship, most likely watching her fight take place on the cliff.

Catherine didn't speak, but Lexia knew she was following her step-sister's line of sight.

"Go." The future Empress of Palladon said quietly. "I'm sure I can handle things from here."

Lexia raised an eyebrow. "You won't call for me in two weeks saying you require my presence back here?"

The girl laughed. "I will expect you on holidays, nothing more." Her eyes twinkled. "Unless, of course, you are occupied with other things."

Lexia refrained from calling her sister out on the context of the "other things" that she knew was implied in the statement. Lexia thought to herself that she really must be head-over-heels for Elsa if one soft look to the ship that the queen stood on was a dead-giveaway.

That, or she was losing her mind.

"Get her up." Catherine's voice was now strong as she ordered her guards to restrain Zmeya. "We have a very _special_ place for this one." She seemed almost cheery at the notion.

But then, just like with everyone else in this family, blood-related or not, she was not without her dark side.

Catherine stepped around her guards and approached Lexia, dropping into a deep, graceful curtsy, a sign of great respect coming from the future ruler of a powerful country.

Lexia let the two sisters' trademark parting words roll off her tongue.

"Ya dolzhen idti."

Catherine's smile was equal parts tender and melancholy as she replied,

"Poka my ne vstretimsya snova." She bowed her head in reverence of her elder sister, who had endured so much for others, herself included on more than one occasion.

Nodding to acknowledge the wish to meet again, Lexia allowed herself a small smile of affection for her sister before turning away, condensing her magic into wings that sprouted from her back and would bring her safely back to Elsa.

She stepped off the edge of the cliff, trusting that her wings were now solid enough to carry her.

Magical, bright orange feathers shimmered as they lifted with the wind and pulled their owner into a steady glide down to meet the ship.

Lexia looked down at the ship she was approaching and met Elsa's gaze and allowed herself to truly smile for the second time that day. Though an expression of surprise at the smile from her captain flickered across Elsa's face, Lexia was able to see the extreme softening of the queen's gaze and the relief that Elsa felt even from this distance.

She was so distracted by the thought of the chance that things might actually work out for her for once, with no more running, no more hiding, that she didn't even sense the crossbow bolt coming until it was firmly lodged in her back.

She looked up briefly, and a bright white light flashing from the Arendellian's ship was the last thing she remembered as the ground rushed up to meet her.


	19. Things You Couldn't Stand Losing

Finally, that chapter you've all been waiting for! :DD I really hope the resolution was worth the build-up...let me know if you think so/don't think so!

Don't forget to review! Enjoy!

* * *

Elsa stared forlornly at the woman she had fallen in love with, who lay prone on the bed and unconscious from her wounds.

When she'd seen the bolt pierce Lexia, Elsa had looked in the direction that the arrow had come from, only to see a regal-looking young woman in gesturing angrily at a figure that looked to be Zmeya, who quickly had the crossbow that she had been holding knocked out of her hands.

Movement in the sky had drawn Elsa's attention back to Lexia, who had then been in a harsh descent towards the ground.

She reacted on instinct alone and threw her magic to catch the woman.

After creating a soft cloud of snow for the fire magic user to land on, she promptly jumped off the side of the ship, freezing the water below before her feet ever made contact.

She didn't slow or turn at the cries of the soldiers behind her to go back; she had to get to Lexia.

It was only a few minutes before Elsa had finally reached her captain, but to the Snow Queen it felt more like weeks.

Elsa had tried to control her reaction to the crimson color that was staining her magical snow, a crimson she knew belonged inside Lexia's body, not out of it. If she hadn't been cautious, she could've ended up freezing the few brave souls that had dared to follow her out onto the ice, one of them being Lexia's second, Loren.

It took two men to lift their captain's recumbent form from the snow and carry back to the ship and to where the woman now lay, in a deep and, Elsa hoped, healing sleep.

To think that Lexia had been right about everything and she might never have had the chance to apologize and thank her for always looking out for her...

The thought was too much for Elsa to bear. And the last thing she wanted was for Lexia to wake to the sight of her tear-stained face. She wanted nothing more than to stay by Lexia's side until she regained consciousness, but she couldn't seem to contain her emotions. Not this time.

So she did what she always did when she was experiencing a powerful, unfamiliar emotion that she wasn't sure she could control.

She ran away.

* * *

 _Time to wake up, my dear._

Even though Orinda's voice was considerately lowered, it still didn't do anything for the splitting headache she was sporting, not to mention the still-smarting puncture wound from Zmeya's arrow.

 _You should go to her, if you think you can manage it._ Orinda suggested. _That pretty little snowflake of yours has damn near lost her mind!_

Lexia had no doubt that the demon was exaggerating, but that didn't stop her from immediately seeking out Elsa's heat signature on the ship, and it looked like she was two doors down, seemingly pacing back and forth.

Ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest that made it feel like she was being hit with that arrow all over again, she forced her body into a sitting position and proceeded to slowly make her way out of the room, leaning on various furniture as needed.

* * *

Elsa paced back and forth in the room that had served as a makeshift study on their voyage. In the back of her mind, she knew the room was meant to be a sort of containment unit for her when she got upset, but she was too distraught about Lexia to care.

"Get it together." She reprimanded herself. "Control it!"

Still she paced, her breathing erratic. "Don't feel, don't feel, don't feel." She repeated the mantra to herself over and over, hoping it would help.

An amused voice called. "You're going about it all wrong, you know."

Elsa turned. "Lexia!"

Lexia still looked exhausted, but she was standing, at least, and leaning her weight against the doorway.

Stepping quickly up to her, Elsa scanned her form. "Should you be up yet?"

Lexia shrugged as best she could without irritating her injury. "I've had worse."

Elsa's face contorted into an expression of grief and Lexia didn't resist the urge to pull Elsa into her arms, squeezing the queen slightly to reassure her that she was alive, and that she was right here.

"Have you always tried to control your powers that way?"

Elsa, shocked at the usually stoic captain had initiated physical contact, had a little trouble focusing on the question.

She looked away guilty. "Yes."

"It never worked, did it?"

Shaking her head, Elsa replied. "Never for long. It just kept piling up..."

As Elsa trailed off, Lexia guided her to a settee where they both sat, with Elsa taking a chance and shyly curling against Lexia's good shoulder.

Lexia brushed errant strands of platinum blonde hair away from in front of Elsa's eyes. "Perhaps you should try letting your emotions free next time."

"But-"

"Elsa, you are a person, just like the rest of us." Lexia was angry, not at Elsa, but at all of those who had made Elsa feel differently. "You have just as much right to feel whatever you want, whenever you want."

Sniffling, Elsa finally composed herself, loving the way Lexia was now speaking her given name. "Maybe I will."

Lexia nodded. "Good." She looked away slightly. "Look Elsa, I -"

"I'm so sorry."

The words were not unexpected, but Lexia thought it best to allow the queen to continue with her apology.

"I should have listened to you when you told me that Zmeya wasn't what she appeared." Her eyes welled up again. "You nearly died because I didn't-"

Lexia had had enough with the back and forth. It was time to talk about the elephant in the room.

So she did the only logical thing she could think of to do.

She kissed the Queen of Arendelle.

Elsa had to have been surprised, but that didn't deter her from returning the kiss enthusiastically with one of her own, winding her hands up and around Lexia's shoulders and tilting her head to give Lexia better access.

Even Lexia, with all her experience with the pleasures of the flesh, was struck dumb by the force of the emotions that washed over her in those few heated moments that Elsa's lips were in contact with hers. Fear, excitement, arousal, tenderness and...

 _Love._ Orinda supplied.

It wasn't a question.

The growing pain in her shoulder forced the pair to separate sooner than either had a mind for, but Lexia leaned her forehead against Elsa's, breathing in more harshly than if she'd run a mile straight.

Lexia was the one who broke the silence.

"I should've been more honest with you about how I knew Zmeya...Maybe you would've been more inclined to believe me if you'd known of our history."

"I kind of suspected there had to be a history, given the way you were acting."

"She and I were...lovers, once. She was a citizen of Palladon, but had married a foreigner to gain more political influence."

"She was married when you two were involved?"

"Yes, but back then I wasn't the type to refuse someone that wouldn't demand more from me than I was willing to give them." Of course that was no excuse for knowingly participating in adultery, and Lexia could've said no, but at the time, the relationship had worked for both parties.

Until it didn't.

"I mistakenly assumed that she felt nothing more than physical attraction for me, and when I told her that I couldn't- _wouldn't_ give her what she wanted, she couldn't take it."

"What exactly did she want?"

Lexia would've thought that obvious.

"My love."

Elsa couldn't help but wonder what that phrase would sound like as a reference to her, rather than to an emotion.

Lexia continued to tell Elsa about how Zmeya had proceeded to frame her for the deaths of her father and stepmother.

"So that other woman on the cliff...?"

"My stepsister, yes, but we were always closer to real siblings because she was only six or seven when my father and her mother married. I sent her a letter informing her about Zmeya's treason."

Elsa put the pieces together and sighed, the relief that Lexia had regained consciousness _and_ had seemingly accepted and returned her feelings finally taking its toll.

"Tired?"

At her nod, Lexia took Elsa's hand and led her back to the room she had woken up in She tried not to sigh tiredly as she sank onto the mattress. She had been fighting her growing exhaustion too.

As Lexia lay down, she noted Elsa's trepidation.

Elsa spoke first. "Does this mean you won't be leaving when we get back to Arendelle?"

The queen tried to hide the widening of her eyes as the other woman burst into laughter and tugged her down onto the bed with her. It was a hard pull, so Elsa ended up catching herself on her arms, face inches above her captain's.

"Yes, Elsa," Lexia said between the rare laughing fit. " This means I will not be leaving."

She put her mouth on Elsa's, loving the raw way Elsa moaned at the contact.

When they parted, Elsa asked. "What changed your mind?"

Lexia raised an eyebrow, thinking that would've been obvious.

"You, of course." She stated in a matter-of-factly way.

The look Elsa gave her had her rethinking the descriptiveness of her explanation.

Rolling her eyes, Lexia continued. "With all that happened with Zmeya...The whole thing made me think about what really mattered to me. About things I couldn't stand losing."

Lexia ran her hands up and down Elsa's sides, wondering if she could melt the snow using her magic.

"Me too." Elsa said, in reference to Lexia's previous statement.

Ignoring the way her chest protested, Lexia pushed herself up slightly, smiling when Elsa met her halfway.

Pulling away, Lexia promised, "I'm not going anywhere. You'd have to order me to leave."

Elsa giggled and lowered herself on her arms so that she was laying beside her beloved.

"Oh, what will Anna say when she hears?" Elsa fought to prevent a girlish giggle from escaping her lips as she curled into Lexia's good side.

"Think of it this way: at least she won't be setting you up on those ridiculous blind dates with foreign dignitaries anymore." Lexia growled.

Elsa just laughed for what felt like the first time in years.

She hadn't even noticed that all the ice in the other room had melted.


	20. Epilogue: Irony

Sonofamothe-...*sob* T^T I can't believe it's over...SOMEONE SHOOT ME! lol I have some solid ideas for the sequel, and I think I might wait on posting until I have the details nailed down (wouldn't want to suddenly end up with an abandoned story ^^;;), but I will say this: **it will be a crossover following the first half of season 4 of Once Upon a Time, featuring Lexia as the add-in** lol...Let me know whether this would be a yay or nay idea for y'all!

I also have a mini-sequel tentatively planned, for those of you naughty naughty readers that want to see some legit "Elsia" sheet action ;DD lol That'll be up when I have it completed (shouldn't be more than a few chapters)...I'll probably be working on that on and off as I write the legit sequel.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU so much for those of you who have reviewed and followed this story to its conclusion...T.T You guys simply ROCK! I can only hope the ending lives up to your expectations!

Anon: Oh and didja notice I finally came up with a ship name for these two! How does "Elsia" sound? If not, I like "Elexia" as well ;DD

You keep on being awesome, everyone! White Jem, out! ;D

* * *

Months flew by and Arendelle prepared for the second winter to pass following the "Summer of Eternal Snow" as the locals jokingly called it.

Having learned Elsa's birthday was on the Winter Solstice, it didn't take Lexia long to think of the perfect gift for her beloved queen.

For Elsa's part, she had never been happier with her life. Lexia was kind and patient, laughing (to Elsa's surprise) through the awkward moments that marked the beginning of the - ahem - _physical_ aspect to their relationship. Obviously Elsa wouldn't have gotten any experience being locked up in her room for the majority of her life. For some reason, Lexia thought Elsa's inexperience was absolutely endearing, and playfully promised to teach her everything she needed to know.

Elsa blushed at the thought of the uncharacteristic roguish wink that had accompanied that statement.

Neither had said the fateful three words yet, but Elsa wasn't worried. She knew that Lexia loved her, that was without question. And Elsa also loved her deeply in turn. They didn't need to say it to make it true.

"Where are we going?"

Lexia chuckled as she led the way to, Elsa suspected, the front courtyard. What was waiting in the courtyard, she had no idea.

Her captain had been very secretive about her plans for Elsa's birthday thus far.

Finally reaching their destination, Elsa was surprised to see lines upon lines of funny-looking tubes with bits of string sticking out.

This was the surprise?

Lexia briefly squeezed her hand from where it had lain in the crook of her arm before she released it, motioning for everyone to step back.

"Wait 'til you see this." Elsa could see a rare glimmer of excitement sparkle in the former princess' eyes.

Turning around, the former Palladonian strolled through the lines of the weird contraptions, raising her arms as she went. Elsa noticed that most all of her subjects were present as well, although to see what, she couldn't be sure.

Instantly, the edges of the strings on the devices sprang to life, brightening the twilight and making her subjects' faces light up in the near-darkness.

Lexia's movements were tantamount to a dancer's in their elegance and fluidity. She moved along the lines of the tubes, lighting the strings as she went, and as she finished lighting the last of them, she ended up right back at Elsa's side. Elsa noticed that the burning of the strings wasn't making any progress at the moment, probably by Lexia's design.

"Ready?"

Elsa nodded, feeling a growing excitement in her chest for she knew not what yet.

Lexia gifted Elsa with one of her rare smiles as she let the first set of her gift fly.

The queen heard a shrill whistling noise as the devices shot into the air. The tubes seemed to disappear into the night, and not seconds later, exploded in midair with a _boom!_ that almost had her subjects panicking until they saw how calm their queen and her captain were at the sight.

Seeing the majestic imploding of color in the night sky brought tears to Elsa's eyes as she raised her hands to her mouth in awe. To be honest, she had been wary of the spontaneous explosions herself, but she knew Lexia would never put her in danger on purpose.

Lexia watched the Arendellian queen's reaction with satisfaction. After a night of lovemaking, Elsa had told her one night about an invention she'd read about that was utilized mostly in the east, consisting of basically gunpowder and metals inside a wooden tube that gave off beautiful colors in the night sky when ignited.

Of course Lexia had known it was fireworks that Elsa was talking about, and had heard of "firemasters", as the firework makers were called, in Vesuvia creating vibrant colors that had differed from the usual color scheme used in previous fireworks.

It was clear to see that she'd made the right choice making a visit to the city that had changed her life so drastically all those years ago. A city she had always maintained she would only return to if her father decided he wanted that particular country.

As she watched Elsa's eyes light up with joy at the beautiful display, Lexia thought this was as good a time as any as she leaned down to whisper in her queen's ear.

The words she uttered had Elsa snapping her gaze away from Lexia's birthday present for her to the captain's gaze which had turned soft and adoring in the gentle glow of the fireworks.

It didn't take long for Elsa to throw her arms around the other woman's neck, resulting in a rare display of public affection that neither normally condoned.

The queen's emphatic reply made Lexia's heart soar.

She had found love for the first time, a new home, a new family...All more than she ever thought that she could realistically hope for.

This was one of the few times she was glad to have been proven wrong.

As she looked up at the sky, booming and glimmering with the flares of the fireworks, she pondered briefly the irony of who would end up thawing a fire-wielder's frozen heart.

None other than the Snow Queen herself.


	21. Sequel is up!

_Hey guys, long time no see! I have just uploaded the first chapter of the sequel to this story, called "Melt My Heart 2" until further notice...couldn't seem to come up with a better name for it, so if any of you think of one, just let me know! It will be a 'Once upon a time' crossover that follows the characters (plus Lexia) through episodes 1 - 11 of the fourth season! Don't forget to read and review, and I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter; there are plenty more to come!_


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